I am a Diamond girl. That is to say, I was born in April, thus making my birthstone Diamond. Which really, I have no complaints about. However, if I were to choose a gemstone to pair with my diamonds, it would have to be the wonderfully hued Sapphire, the birthstone for September. This regal corundum mineral is generally thought of as the truest of blue in gemstones. Hence the phrase “Sapphire Blue”. But sapphires can be nearly any color except red (since those are called rubies, which are chemically and structurally the same). Sapphire is also the Zodiac stone for the constellation of Taurus the Bull. (which, being a Taurus, I can appreciate)
The Logan Sapphire from Sri Lanka (above left) is one of the largest faceted gem-quality blue sapphires in the world, weighing 422.99 carats. It is currently on display at the Natural Museum of Natural History.
The Hall Sapphire Necklace (right) was designed by Harry Winston, Inc., and features thirty six matched Ceylon sapphires from Sri Lanka, surrounded by four hundred and thirty five white diamonds. That's right . . . four hundred and thirty five. The Hall Sapphire Necklace is on display at the Smithsonian Institution's American Museum of Natural History in Washington DC.
Sapphires from Sri Lanka and India are well known, and excellent examples are also found in Tanzania and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. In addition, sapphires are found in many places throughout the world, including North Carolina, Montana, Brazil, and China.
But I think the best place to find them should be in my jewelry box . . .
Sapphire is also the traditional gift for a 5th or 45th wedding anniversary. (my advice? instead of celebrating a 25th anniversary with paltry silver, opt to celebrate five times your 5th and receive five sapphires) If somehow you make it to your 65th wedding anniversary, then the traditional gift is the rare and pleasantly peculiar star sapphire (left).
Of the four classic gemstones (diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire), these beauties are the most sophisticated, and yet the most understated. They don't scream "look at me, look how flashy I am." like emeralds or rubies tend to do. No, sapphires are content to sit back, hang out with their pals the diamonds and let people be drawn into them. They are not attention seekers, yet gain much admiration whenever they are worn. Like a high bred lady of society, they don't shout out their wealth, yet everybody in the room instinctively knows who they are and what they are worth.
And that is what I find makes them so intriguing.
We started at Ensemble, which is the focus of this posting. Ensemble is
the brain child of Top Chef Canada winner Dale Mackay. We sat at the bar and
swapped stories with the bartender and sipped on muddled cocktails. With these
we enjoyed a honey beet salad, as well as buffalo mozzarella with watermelon
and balsamic reduction. Oh, and crab cakes. All three plates were very good and
nicely executed, but it was the cheese / melon / balsamic that really stood out
for us. The sweetness of the watermelon off set with the tang of the balsamic
was a little bit of bliss. The buffalo mozzarella helped ensure each bite was
something different; some smooth with just a hint of sweetness, others
creaminess with the bite of the balsamic.
The Hall Sapphire Necklace (right) was designed by Harry Winston, Inc., and features thirty six matched Ceylon sapphires from Sri Lanka, surrounded by four hundred and thirty five white diamonds. That's right . . . four hundred and thirty five. The Hall Sapphire Necklace is on display at the Smithsonian Institution's American Museum of Natural History in Washington DC.