The Sapphire

For St Hildegarde, sapphire is simply a stone of a deep blue, she poetically describes its formation and nature: “Sapphire is formed in the middle of the day, when the sun, in its ardour, burns so strongly that sometimes the air is thickened by it. It represents charity filled with wisdom.” (Physica ch VI)

Saint Hildegarde mentions many virtues for sapphire. It should generally be used through contact with the mouth, as is the case for stimulating one’s intelligence for example, but it can also be used with wine to repel an unwanted insistent suitor. Saint Hildegarde also specifies that the stone must be raw, or only in contact with gold to be beneficial, all other metals make it lose its effects.