means A precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, prized for its deep blue color (though it occurs in other hues too).

from From Greek 'sappheiros,' which came through Latin 'sapphirus' and Old French into English. The Greek term may trace back to a Semitic source — Hebrew 'sappir' is often cited — though the original 'sappheiros' may actually have referred to lapis lazuli rather than the blue corundum we now call sapphire, so the name quietly migrated stones somewhere along the way.