Long associated with royalty and romance, sapphires are also said to symbolize fidelity, sincerity, truth, faithfulness, nobility and the soul. For centuries, sapphire have adorned royalty and the robes of the clergy. The elite of Ancient Greece and Rome believed that blue sapphire protected their owners from harm and envy. Clerics of the Middle Ages wore sapphires because they symbolized Heaven. Ancient Persians believed the earth actually rested on a giant sapphire, which made the sky blue. 

In some cultures it was even reputed to having healing powers as well.  Medieval Europeans believed that sapphire cured plague boils and diseases of the eye and was thought to be an antidote to poison.