The Hyspian Sapphire

[HIGH_FIRE 5490]

LA CORTE SOL DORADA

 

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El Zafiro Hyspiano

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The Zafiro Hyspiano, otherwise known as the Hyspian Sapphire, is an incredibly beautiful gem that is considered incredibly rare as it can only be found amongst sandstone due to its mineral content. It holds an incredibly important place within the hearts of the Hyspian people both on the level of beauty and sentimental value. It is crucial to explain the history and beauty of the gem because it carries so much weight for the Hyspian people and story, following them from its discovery on Almaris to its continued use and coveted nature of it. 

 

This essay was first written by Lady Adriana Rosalind Temesch of San Adriano for her aunt, Sovereign Xiomara I of Hypisa, however it was then improved upon in terms of vernacular by an aid of the Temesch family. It was given to the Hyspian people as a post-mortem gift from the young girl to her recently deceased father, Tomas Salazar.

 

 

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[!] Queen Sofia’s Hyspian Sapphire necklace.

 

History

 

The Hyspian Sapphire was found by Francisco I, Sofia, Veronica and Alejandro de Pelear and their friend Amity Morovar while they were still children. The mine that held the first discovered Sapphires was just outside of the Ciudad de la Plata on the beaches of the Island. The children ventured outwards to the beach as often as they would, in order to play some games and swim around in the water, not too far away from their home.

 

It is on this beach that they found a gap between the sand, exposing a quarry with several small mines within it. Being children, they were adventurous and all concerns about dangers were out the window. They eventually came across a sealed mine with a series of buttons and decided to press them at random, soon enough stumbling onto the correct passcode and opening the door to the mine. 

 

Inside was a collection of several gorgeous Sapphires of a beautiful deep blue that shimmered in the light gap of light from the large door. The children delighted in their discovery, assuming that they now be the richest of their age should they grab for them. Both Francisco and Sofia were drawn to it and gathered a few loose ones before running to their parents excited. With this the mining of these gems began, the de Pelears taking the mine for their own purposes.

 

The firstborn of the children and rightful heir to the then Viceroyalty, Francisco I took the Sapphire as a symbol of his people due to its resemblance to the blue upon both his house and national crests. His crown, the one he wore for his investiture as the Viceroy of the Hyspians was made of silver and Sapphires from the local mine. Often these Sapphires found their place in what little jewellery he wore, used as a symbol of his leadership and care for the Hyspian people.

 

Second born and firstborn daughter, Sofia was considered the foremost patron of the gems, wearing them in the various stylish outfits that she had gotten throughout her life. The mine where they had been discovered in her youth was granted to her upon her quinceanera as a gift due to her patronage of the gem. Later in life she would find herself becoming the Queen-Consort of Hanseti-Ruska, being deemed the ‘Sapphire Queen’ by the denizens of the Haeseni palatial courts, further cementing her patronage.

 

In the Aevosian era, the Hyspian Sapphire has fallen from primary favour to secondary as Aurum has become the desire for the nobility of Hyspia. However, the Zafiro Hyspiano has always been attributed to the Ciudad de la Plata including in the song ‘Welcome to Ciudad de la Plata’. It is also spoken amongst the miners of Hyspia that there is another Sapphire mine bearing the same gems within the desert they occupy. However, this is yet to be found and only time shall tell whether it shall be found.

 

Qualities
 

Unlike the sheer majority of other Sapphires that are harvested, Hyspian Sapphires are pure blue, lacking any secondary hues such as the common green or purple hues. This deep blue is an incredible beauty that resembles the blue within the Coat of Arms of the de Pelear family. 

 

When found in its natural form within the sandstone prison that it forms, the Hyspian Sapphire holds a very dark, muddied blue colour with a very dusty coat upon it, due to the abrasive nature of its home. Almost completely opaque, the Sapphire holds a very unassuming visage, visibly unattractive and often ignored by those miners who do not have a great understanding of the Sapphire themselves.

 

Upon a jeweller working with the Sapphire, polishing and cutting it, the translucent admiral blue, when held up towards a source of light, would refract it several times over, casting the same admiral blue shade over anything on the other side of the gem. Truly a sight to behold, the Zafiro Hyspiano is considered by scholars of crystals and gems to be the most pure of Sapphires for its colour, hues and tones produced.

 

Meanings and Beliefs
 

The Hyspian people, due to their love of the Sapphire, have placed a great deal of meaning upon the gem. The foremost being that it is a sign of loyalty, predominantly due to the shade being so close to their ruling families chosen primary colour. The secondary meaning applied to it is a sense of love, often going hand in hand with the former meaning as a gift to one that someone has a great deal of love and appreciation for. The third and final meaning is one of upper class is more inferred than spoken, this is due to its association with the de Pelear family and the high cost of the Sapphire.

 

It is believed that a Zafiro Hyspiano is far better than a diamond for an wedding ring, as it is both considered more expensive and of a deeper, more powerful meaning to the culture. A ring made of Aurum with the Sapphires is the very best wedding ring that one can offer in Hyspian culture. The more superstitious consider this gem to be one of great power, offering them both protection from Dark Magicks as though it created a barrier between them and those Dark Mages and their scheming, and protection from poverty meaning should they have a great wealth, they shall not lose it so long as they have these Sapphires.

 

 

 

DIOS LOS BENDIGA,

 

HER SERENE HIGHNESS, Xiomara I, Sovereign of Hyspia, Duchess of Pacazu, Viscountess of Banderas, Baroness of Arenisca, Del’mar, Monterro, Campagnon and Sevilla, Lady of La Dorada, Lady of Niseep, Gereon’s Hold and Ciudad de Plata, Protector of the Hyspian People, Protector of the Farfolk, Matriarch of House de Pelear, Knight of the Order of the Prophetic Hill of Lorina, etcetera.

The Honourable, Adriana Rosalind Temesch,

 Lady of San Adriano

[tadabug2000 4918]

"Beautifully written, 'brina," Her gaze panned over the scholarly missive, before beginning preparations of a gift in response to the one given by her niece. Surely, a sapphire tiara would do, no?

[__Stal27 2126]

“Her writings on Gems is quite Bona, Nen?” The recently King-Elect of BEElain, Lothar spoke, eyes scanning the missive as he held it for the Queen-Elect, Isidora.

 

@Lirinya