The name sapphire comes from the Greek word meaning blue. Though sapphires come in a variety of hues from colorless to dark brown, the word is most often identified with the rich, radiant blue of this gemstone. It was believed in ancient times the sapphire attracted divine favor, that it could influence spirits and protect against envy. Tradition has it that the sapphire is so potent it continues to exercise a good influence over the first wearer even when it has passed into other hands. Sapphires sometimes display two-ray, four-point cross stars. These star sapphires feature smooth domed cabochon cuts to enhance the effect. The intersecting rays of light have been said to represent faith, hope and destiny. The star is best viewed with a single light source. This effect, called asterism, is caused by light reflecting off tiny rutile needles, called "silk," which are oriented along the crystal faces. These fine, needle-like inclusions are what give sapphires their velvety quality. When these inclusions are numerous enough to make the stone translucent or opaque and are oriented properly, they allow light to be reflected in such a way that a star floats across the top of the stone with movement. Mounted on this beautiful ring, this star sapphire shimmers and shines with its own luminescence that evokes a star twinkling against the dark backdrop of night.