Sapphire Gem ©WikiC
“And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;” (Revelation 21:19 KJV)
For now, the first stone – “Jasper,” is being skipped. I am still researching what is the color or colors of the Jasper stone. Some have it all over the color spectrum. Also, there is no bird with the name “Jasper” in it. Later.
The Sapphire is beautiful and is typically blue, but varies. Sapphire is also the stone used to represent those born in September. Yeah, my birth month. “Sapphire is the birthstone for September and the gem of the 45th anniversary. A sapphire jubilee occurs after 65 years.” [Wikipedia]
Sapphire-bellied-hummingbird-perched-on-branch ©ARKive
A rare variety of natural sapphire, known as color-change sapphire, exhibits different colors in different light. Color change sapphires are blue in outdoor light and purple under incandescent indoor light, or green to gray-green in daylight and pink to reddish-violet in incandescent light. Color change sapphires come from a variety of locations, including Thailand and Tanzania. The color-change effect is caused by the interaction of the sapphire, which absorbs specific wavelengths of light, and the light-source, whose spectral output varies depending upon the illuminant. Transition-metal impurities in the sapphire, such as chromium and vanadium, are responsible for the color change. [Wikipedia]
Uncut Yellow Sapphire ©Wikipedia
The sapphire is mentioned in nine verses in the King James version of the Bible.
“And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.” (Exodus 24:10 KJV)
Sapphire Flycatcher (Ficedula sapphira) ©WikiC
“And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.” [The breastplate of judgment] (Exodus 28:18 and 39:11 KJV)
White-chinned Sapphire (Hylocharis cyanus) by Dario Sanches
“But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.” (Job 28:12-16 KJV)
Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Amazilia lactea) by Dario Sanches
“And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.” (Ezekiel 1:26 KJV)
Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird ©LauraLFel
“Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.” (Ezekiel 10:1 KJV)
Blue-chinned Sapphire (Chlorestes notata) ©WikiC
“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.” (Ezekiel 28:13 KJV)
Sapphire-vented Puffleg (Eriocnemis luciani) by Michael Woodruff
I trust you enjoyed seeing some of the birds with Sapphire in their name.
Previous Blogs that used Verses with Sapphires in them:
*** Articles in this Series so far:
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 