Knowledge of the universe
In a starry night
Painted in a stone
Where truth shines bright

Lapis Lazuli is one of the birthstones for September, and one of my favorite stones.  (And, no, this is not a picture of lapis.  It is a starry night.)  This is a complex metamorphic rock with a Mohs hardness of 5 or 6, and one of the few that I hand polish.  This complex gem always contains Lazurite, but may also contain calcite, pyrite, and sodalite.  This beautiful stone has a rich history of use for carving and jewelry that stretches back for more than 6000 years.  There are deposits of lapis lazuli in Chile, Canada, Russia, Burma, and the US.  Some of the best deposits are found in the caves of the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan.

The name, Lapis Lazuli, comes from the latin for stone, lapis, and the Persian word lazaward.  I have seen this translated as sky, heavens, or blue.  This deep blue stone that is flecked with "gold" has long been a favorite for carving ceremonial and ornamental pieces, game boards, bowls, dagger handles, and sculpture.  Now as in ancient times, it is worked and shaped for jewelry of all types.  In Egypt, lapis lazuli was ground to a powder and used as makeup.  In Europe, the same powder was used to color the paint that Michelengelo used to paint the Sistine Chapel.

In China, lapis lazuli was considered a stone of royalty.  In Persia, it was believed that this stone was the starry sky shrunk down to a precious gem.  In Islam, it is protection against the evil eye and in Buddhism it is used for healing and inner peace.

This beautiful gem has long been seen as a stone of spiritual energy and enlightenment.  It is a stone of deep inner truths, wisdom, and self awareness.  It is believed to connect to the spirit realm and aid in the development of psychic abilities.  It can enhance intuition, focus, clarity, and creativity.  There are some who believe that lapis lazuli is the energetic building block of knowledge.  It may help with past life exploration and help you find the magic that resides within you.

Whew, that's a lot from a pretty little stone.

Pink purple, black, and blue
Spiritual truth and clarity
Courage to express yourself
With wisdom and integrity

Beautiful sapphire, a birthstone of September, is closely related to ruby.  Both are varieties of corundum, aluminum oxide with a Mohs hardness of 9.  Ruby is the red variety of the gem.  All other colors are sapphire, and can be found in colorless, yellow,orange, brown, pink, purple, grey, black, multicolored, and of course, blue.  Blue, the color most associated with sapphire, is caused by traces of iron and titanium in the crystal.  Some of the most valuable deposits are found in India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Madagascar, Afghanistan, and Australia.

Sapphire symbolizes royalty and abundance.  It is a stone of wisdom, integrity, and focus.  Like the month of September in the northern hemisphere, it symbolizes the abundant harvest that comes from hard work, study, and wisdom.  The calming hews of the stone represent the calm, focused mind and spiritual truth that comes when you put in the work, and take the time to develop skills and knowledge.

The beautiful energy of the sapphire matches the beauty of the stone.  It attracts abundance, blessings, and gifts.  It is believed to protect against negativity.  Being associated with the moon, it can help strengthen intuition and spiritual clarity.  It is believed to support the calmness of mind that supports the development of knowledge, skills, and integrity.  It lends strength and courage to self expression.  Sapphire encourages balance and alignment of the physical, mental, and spiritual.

If you like sapphire, the colors can be used to fine tune your connection with the stones.

BLUE - is the color most associated with sapphire. It carries the energy of spirituality, truth, wisdom, psychic ability, focus, and clarity.
GREEN - is the stone of inner vision, integrity, compassion, and heart.
PINK - is the stone of emotions and emotional wisdom, and evolution.
PURPLE - is for meditation and spiritual growth and wisdom.  It is a good one to help activate psychic ability.
CLEAR or WHITE - is a stone of pure energy and spiritual awareness.
YELLOW - attracts wealth and abundance, helps stimulate the intellect and creativity, and helps manifest your vision.
ORANGE - brings wisdom to overcome obstacles.  It is the stone of fire and life force, and sensuality.
BLACK - protects and centers you in your own intuition.
STAR SAPPHIRE - is usually opaque with a star pattern in the stone.  It draws you into its depths and the depth of your intuition.  It connects to a deeper knowledge and truth.