Precious gemstones that are typically blue but can be other colors, made of crystallized aluminum oxide.
From Latin 'sapphirus,' borrowed from Greek 'sappheiros,' possibly from Hebrew 'sappir.' The exact origin is uncertain, but the word spread through trade languages along ancient commerce routes.
Sapphires are the second-hardest natural gemstone after diamonds, and royalty has loved them for millennia—Princess Diana's famous sapphire engagement ring cost about $200,000 in 1981 but would cost $3+ million today.
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