Sapphire - Color and Emotions

Sapphire is the official birthstone for the month of September as adopted by the American National Association of Jewelers in 1912. Sapphire is the non-red variety of corundum (the red variety of corundum is ruby). At 9.0 on the Mohs scale of hardness, sapphire is the second hardest natural mineral.

Blue is by far the most popular color for sapphires, but they can be almost any color, including yellow, green, white, colorless, pink, orange, brown, and purple. Padparadscha is the name for a rare orange-pink variety of sapphire and has a higher value than blue sapphires. The wonderful Kashmir sapphires, which were found in 1880 after an avalanche had come down in a height of 5000 m, and which were intensively mined then for eight years, have for all times set the standard for our ideas of the color of a top quality sapphire.

Blue is also the favorite color of about 50 per cent of the population, men and women alike. This color, which is strongly associated with sapphire, is also linked to emotions such as sympathy and harmony, friendship and loyalty. These emotions belong to features which are permanent and reliable – emotions where overwhelming and fiery passion is not the main element, but rather composure, mutual understanding and unshakeable trust. Sapphire blue has thus become a color related to anything permanent and reliable, and this is one of the reasons why women in many countries settle on Sapphire for their engagement rings. Sapphire symbolizes loyalty and faithfulness, while at the same time expressing love and yearning.

Sympathy, harmony, friendship, loyalty, faithfulness, competence, love. Do these words remind you of anything, or perhaps anyone? They sure remind me of Jesus. Jesus is most certainly sympathetic, and brings harmony to even a raging sea with just the sound of His voice (Mark 4:37-39). He wants to be our friend, and is loyal and faithful to that end, even unto His own suffering, and why? Because He loves us (John 3:16). And His love is both permanent and reliable.

NEXT POST: *The Gems of Exodus and Revelation - Sapphire

*The Gems of Exodus and Revelation are presented in twelve monthly installments and will explore the similarities between the stones in the ephod (breastplate) of Aaron and the stones of the New Jerusalem, and their relation to Jesus.

Gift Wrap and The Greatest Gift

We do gift wrapping at The Karat Patch. Almost every piece of jewelry goes into a presentation box, and gets an "event appropriate" gift wrap. Sometimes that event is a birthday (party wrap) or an anniversary (white wrap), or sometimes a graduation (school colors wrap). During the Christmas season we even put a tiny toy or an ornament in the bow. And we have an everyday gift wrap (brown paper), occasionally tied-up with a ribbon of the gift recipients favorite color. Whatever the occasion, we put a beautiful and personal gift wrap on what will be a special present for a loved one.

Now think about this; What kind of gift wrap would you put on the most important gift you would ever give to someone? What type of paper would you use? What kind of bow? What kind of ribbon? My suspicion is that you would use the very best of everything you could find for that special gift.

Well, the greatest gift you and I have ever received came packaged not with the best of everything, but with the most ordinary of things. It came wrapped in cloths. It was stored in a hay bin. It was delivered to (most likely) a cave (Luke 2:7 & Luke 2:12). The greatest gift came the way it did because it wasn't just for any one person...but for everyone. It came in a form and a package in which anyone could relate and draw close, peasants and kings alike.

The greatest gift comes with both love and life for all who would receive it (John 3:16). The greatest gift never goes out of fashion, never wears out, never fails, and no batteries are required. Oddly enough though it can be exchanged...for things like the pursuit of a bigger house, a fancier car, a career, more money...anything we might want more than the greatest gift.

What is the greatest gift? The greatest gift is Jesus Christ. We received this gift that we might have life, and life more abundant...right here, right now...oh yeah, and for all eternity too (John 10:10). When we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, we unwrap the greatest gift that God our Father has ever given to the world. Those who accept Jesus Christ as Savior receive not just love and life, but also forgiveness, hope, and eternal life. In other words, Jesus Christ is the personification of "the gift that keeps on giving".
This Christmas, during the season of gifts and giving, let's make sure those who don't know about the greatest gift get the opportunity to receive it and unwrap it for themselves (Matthew 28:19). And remember that every day of that abundant life is a gift from God...that's why it's called "the present".

NEXT POST: Omega and Alpha

3 in 1 and 1 in 3

Tourmalines are precious stones displaying a unique splendor of colors. According to an ancient Egyptian legend this is the result of the fact that on the long way from the earth’s heart up towards the sun, tourmaline traveled along a rainbow. And on its way it collected all the colors of the rainbow. This is why nowadays it is called the "Rainbow gemstone”. However, the name "Tourmaline” has been derived from the Singhalese expression "tura mali”, which translates as "stone of mixed colors.” The very name already refers to the unique spectrum of colors displayed by this gemstone, which is second to none in the realm of precious stones. Often they show two or more colors and are cherished for this party- or multi-colored appearance. For example, such slices taken from tourmalines with a red heart, white and then green border are called a "Watermelon-Tourmaline” or Tri-Color Tourmaline. It is in fact 3 stones in 1, and all 3 are 1 tourmaline.

Whenever I see this stone it reminds me of our God; The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, each their own entity yet all 3 are 1 God.

Even the three colors of watermelon tourmaline each have specific names when apart from one another. Green tourmaline is known as 'Elbaite'. Red tourmaline is known as 'Rubellite'. White tourmaline is known as 'Achroite'.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, it's like getting a fine piece of watermelon tourmaline.....it's a 3 for 1 deal. As we accept The Son, we have access to The Father, and until that day when The Son returns, we have The Holy Spirit. The Creator, (Genesis 1:1) The Savior (John 3:16), and The Counselor (John 14:26) are all wrapped up in one wonderful God, who loves us and cares for us and provides for our every need. I'm a very firm believer that God reveals Himself through nature (Romans 1:20) and gives us glimpses of His qualities, His power, and His Divinity.

Although the processes that create watermelon tourmaline are incredibly complicated and should make it extremely rare, it is actually quite abundant. I believe it's because God doesn't want us to miss this picture of Him...a natural, beautiful example of The Great 3 in 1 and 1 in 3.

NEXT POST: The Hope

Alexandrite and Our Never-Changing God

Alexandrite is a rare gemstone named after the Russian tsar Alexander II (1818-1881), the very first crystals having been discovered in April 1834 in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals. The discovery was made on the day the future tsar came of age. Although alexandrite is a relatively young gemstone, it certainly has a noble history. Alexandrite is the faceted birthstone for the month of June.

The most sensational feature about this stone, however, is its surprising ability to change its colors. Green or bluish-green in daylight, alexandrite turns a soft shade of red, purplish-red or raspberry red in artificial light. This unique optical characteristic makes it one of the most valuable gemstones of all, especially in fine qualities.

Alexandrite reminds me of God's Love for us.

God's Love for us doesn't change, but everything in His Kingdom and all of His creation is in a constant state of change.
Watch the image above.
The alexandrite doesn't change shape, or its facets become re-arranged even when the colors constantly change within the stone.

God has a perfect will, a plan, for everything and everyone. And although things seem to constantly change around us within that plan...good changes, bad changes, planned changes and surprise changes, we can remain secure in the faithfulness of God’s Love for us which is constant and never changing (1 Chronicles 16:34).

The color change of alexandrite from red to green reminds me of how the (red) blood of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to have (green) life everlasting. You cannot have one without the other, and both abide within God's Love. Jesus (His death and resurrection) is God's greatest expression of His Love for us (John 3:16 and Romans 5:8). I'm so glad He gave us alexandrite, another example of His creation that if examined closely with an eye to deeper things than its mere beauty, gives us an example of Him and His Love for us.

If you want to read more about alexandrite just click on the image. If you want to read more about God's Love just pick up the Bible.

NEXT POST: Time + Truth = Trust