Sapphire. A variety of native corundum or aluminum sesquioxide. as the name of a gem the term is restricted to the transparent varieties of blue, pink, yellow, and other colors. The best specimens of the blue variety are nearly as valuable as the diamond. The sapphire is next to the diamond in hardness.

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“If God give thee not only earth but heaven, that thou shouldest rule over sun, moon, and stars, and have rule over the highest of the sons of men, it would not be enough to satisfy thee, except thou hadst God himself.”
–Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment