Diamonds and Sapphires

Diamonds are chunks of highly organized carbon.  Even though they're relatively common, they have been made artificially rare, causing them to cost much more than they should.  While they have a high refractive index, are unusually hard, and are often very pure, they seem commonplace in jewelry, especially in engagement rings.  To me, they are the plain vanilla of the gemstones.  You can dress up vanilla ice cream with a lot of toppings, but at the end of the day, it's still vanilla ice cream.

Sapphires on the other hand, may not be very valued in the eyes of some.  I think that most would be surprised to see an engagement ring with a sapphire in it.  They are not pure, and aren't even carbon.  They are made of aluminum oxide, but the impurities give the stone its brilliant blue color.  They are also very hard and durable just like diamonds.  But I feel that they are somehow more unique.  And they come in a variety of colors, depending on the impurity.  Red sapphires are rubies.  How appropriate then are the words of the proverb:

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

It is certainly easy for us to be like the rest of the world and give a diamond view of ourselves, perfect, flawless, and polished.  But how much harder is it to share our sapphire moments with those around us?  They are even more beautiful, I would argue, and come from a deeper place.