Sapphire jewelry. They also may be created synthetically in laboratories for industrial or decorative purposes in large crystal boules. Because of the remarkable hardness of sapphires – 9 on the Mohs scale (the third hardest mineral, after diamond at 10 and moissanite at 9.5) – sapphires are also used in some non-ornamental applications, such as infrared optical components, high-durability windows, wristwatch crystals and movement bearings, and very thin electronic wafers, which are used as the insulating substrates of very special-purpose solid-state electronics (especially integrated circuits and GaN-based LEDs). Sapphire is the birthstone for September and the gem of the 45th anniversary.
Wine of the Month Club weary of retail and began the process of selling his pharmacies. Palos Verdes Wines and Spirits was sold the same year, but due to mismanagement on the part of the new owners, was closed soon thereafter. Paul Kalemkiarian Sr., however, had retained the mail order rights, and trademarked the name “Wine of the Month Club,” which he soon operated as a freestanding entity. In 1989, Paul Kalemkiarian Sr. offered to sell the Wine of the Month Club to his son, Paul Kalemkiarian Jr., after a six-month trial period. At the time, Kalemkiarian Jr. was a partner in a stable and