#septemberflowers

Sensational Sapphire

A symbol of purity and wisdom, sapphire is the birthstone for September.  

At one time sapphires were believed to protect the wearer against evil and poison. Sapphires were even thought to be capable of killing spiders and venomous snakes.   

Sapphires are a form of the mineral corundum. Blue is the color associated with this precious gem, but sapphires can also be white, yellow, orange, green, and purple. There are no red sapphires, as all corundum in red hues are rubies. The sapphire, and it sister stone, the ruby, are second only to the diamond in hardness. Sapphires are found in Eastern Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, China, Madagascar, East Africa, and North America (primarily in Montana).    

A six-rayed "star" can appear on a sapphire when the underlying crystal structure has just the right pattern of needle-like inclusions. This is known as a "star sapphire."

Down the ages, sapphires have been popular with royalty. When Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer became engaged in February of 1981, Charles offered her a choice of a dozen rings, and she selected a 12 carat blue oval Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14  diamonds, set in white gold. The ring was not a custom piece, and was available in the jeweler's catalog, but Diana chose it because it was the most beautiful. (She was also very fond of sapphires.) When their son, Prince William, became engaged to Catherine Middleton in 2010, he gave his bride-to-be, the future Duchess of Cambridge, the ring his mother had loved.   

Diana, Princess of Wales, also received some fabulous sapphire jewelry as wedding gifts. The Queen Mother gave her a large oval sapphire and diamond brooch. Diana had it converted into the clasp of a seven-strand pearl choker, and wore it often. It was magnificent. Crown Prince Fahad of Saudi Arabia gave her a set of sapphire jewelry, including a watch, earrings, a bracelet, and a beautiful diamond necklace with a sapphire and diamond pendant.

Chrysolite: September Birthstone Emeritus     

Before birthstones were standardized in 1912, chrysolite was a September gem. Today, chrysolite can refer to peridot, the gem-quality form of olivine that is the birthstone for August. It is also an archaic term for yellow to green stones including topaz, chrysoberyl, zircon, tourmaline, and opatite.

In the New Testament Book of Revelations, 21:19, chrysolite is named as the precious stone garnishing the seventh foundation of the city wall in New Jerusalem.

Aster and Morning Glory: Hardy Beauties 

The aster and the morning glory are the birth month flowers for September.    

A genus of the flowering plant family Asteraceae, the aster is a daisy-like flower known since ancient times.This hardy flower brings a pop of color to a late summer and early autumn garden, and symbolizes patience and powerful love.  

The name aster comes from the Greek word astḗr, meaning "star," because of its ray-like petals. In Greek mythology, the compassionate goddess Astera, distraught when Jupiter caused a destructive flood, asked to be turned into a star, then wept for the dead. Her tears became asters. 

The Ancient Greeks believed burning the leaves of this plant could drive away snakes, similar to the way sapphire’s properties were supposed to kill serpents.

“White Aster” is an epic Japanese poem written in 1889 by Ochai Naobumi, about a maiden found as a child among white asters.      

The morning glory opens early in the morning, hence the common name for more than 1,000 species in the flowering plant family Convolvulaceae. Some varieties are especially suited to creating summer shade on trellises. Their attractive flowers can even thrive in poor, dry soil.

Morning glories symbolize affection. Perhaps because this is a robust plant with short-lived flowers, there is a duality to it. In  Victorian times it was a symbol of undying love, and also of unrequited love. Because the flowers bloom and die within a short space of time, morning glories often decorated the graves of children.

American artist Georgia O'Keefe’s many beautiful flower paintings include her well-known 1935 work,  "Blue Morning Glories.”   

E. Nash 1908 postcard for September, from the Birthday Gems series.

My  E. Nash postcard for September, from their 1908 Birthday Gems series, has a sapphire stickpin in the upper right corner, beneath a gold “guiding star.” “September” appears in the upper left corner, above a framed verse, and a spray of pink asters that spans most of the card. The greeting “Wishing you a Happy Birthday” is centered at the bottom. The verse reads:

The Sapphire of heavenly hue Brings great wisdom unto you The blooming Aster tells you true Life’s happiness you will never rue Thy Star shines out from the sky above And its rays disclose the light of Love

I like the color and composition, the shadowing, and the way the asters and stickpin are partially in the bottom border.

Tucks astrology postcard for September, circa 1910.

I also have a Tucks postcard from about 1910 from an astrology-based birthday series, with the sign “Libra” next to the word “September.” A landscape with a house by water and a small boat are framed with morning glories and a chrysolite pendant. The words “Morning-glory” and “Affectation” (not “Affection”!) are in the lower left corner, and centered at the base of the card is the verse: 

“A chrysolite on brow shall bind, ‘Twill cure Diseases of the mind.”