Last week in my blog, I talked about how gemstones have families and focused on Beryl ( www.angelacisneros.com/post/all-in-the-family ), and this week, I want to talk about Sapphire! This topic seems to surprise most of my friends and family, and I just find it so fascinating. Let’s dive in!
Gemstones are placed into mineral families based on the chemical composition and crystal structure. Sapphire is part of the Corundum mineral family which is made up of Aluminum and Oxygen. In its purest form, Corundum is actually colorless but trace elements during the growth phase will cause various colors. Corundum can be found in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Myanmar, Thailand, and even in the United States!
So, what does a rainbow have to do with it? Corundum comes in every single color of the rainbow including black, brown, and gray! In fact, the gemstone we call Ruby is actually a red variety of Corundum. The blue variety is always called Sapphire, while the other colors (except for red) are called Fancy Sapphires. What trace elements cause the other colors in Corundum? Let’s find out!
· Blue: Iron & Titanium
· Red (Ruby) and Pink: Chromium. The more Chromium is present, the deeper the color will be. Lighter amounts make it pink!
· Orange: Chromium & Iron
· Yellow & Green: Iron. The more Iron is present, the greener it will be. Lighter amounts make it yellow!
· Purple: Chromium, Iron, & Titanium
Corundum is not only a beautiful gemstone, but it is also very durable making it perfect as a colorful diamond replacement in an engagement ring. Corundum rates a 9 on the Moh’s Hardness scale (on a scale of 1-10) and an Excellent rating on Toughness (a gemstones resistance to breaking and chipping) See my blog www.angelacisneros.com/post/how-durable-are-you There aren’t any other gemstones besides Diamond that can stand the test of time like Corundum can.
I would love to help you with your special purchase or custom design! Angela Cisneros Jewelry Concierge brings back the joy and confidence of jewelry shopping, so that you can celebrate with ease! My by-appointment approach means:
One-on-one appointments (personal attention and no crowds!)
Discretion and privacy (surprises remain surprises!)
Expert help from a Graduate Gemologist with 23 years of experience (yep, that’s me!)
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*Photo credit: @giagrams