safiirit

Safiirit is the Finnish plural form of "safiiri," the word for sapphire, a precious gemstone variety of corundum characterized most commonly by a blue color but occurring in a range of hues. In Finnish usage safiirit refers collectively to sapphire stones whether natural or synthetic and is used in contexts ranging from gemological description to jewelry commerce and cultural references.

Etymology traces safiiri to older European languages; the Finnish term was borrowed via neighboring languages from Latin and Greek roots related to sappheiros. In gemological contexts safiirit are evaluated by color, clarity, cut and carat weight, with blue tones—ranging from cornflower to deep royal blue—being most sought after. Like all corundum, sapphires score 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, making safiirit durable and suitable for everyday wear in rings and other jewelry.

Major historical and contemporary sources for high-quality safiirit include regions such as Kashmir, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Madagascar, while synthetic and heat-treated stones are common in the market. Safiirit carry cultural and symbolic associations with wisdom, protection and nobility in various traditions and appear in Finnish and international jewelry, design and literature. In commercial and academic settings the term is used in standard gemological descriptions, trade documents and educational materials in Finland and other Finnish-language contexts.