Gemstones and Jewelry

 Sapphire

Sapphire refers to gem varieties of the mineral corundum. Sapphires can be found naturally or manufactured in large crystal boules.Corundum consists of pure aluminuim oxide. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium give corundum blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange, or a greenish color. A fully saturated red gemstone would be known as a ruby and a pinkish-orange gemstone is known as padparadscha. Blue is the most common color of a sapphire.

A blue sapphire is evaluated based upon the purity of its hue. Purple, violet and green are the normal secondary hue found in a blue sapphire. Violet and purple contribute to the overall beauty of the color, green is considered a distinct negative. Gray is the normal saturation modifier or mask found in blue sapphires. Gray reduces the saturation or brightness of the hue.

Purple sapphires are lower in price then blue sapphires. These stones contain vanadium. Yellow and green sapphires have traces of iron. Pink sapphires have chromium and the deeper the pink the higher the value. Sapphires also occur in shades of orange and brown.