Blue Sapphire Corundum Value

The word sapphire comes from the greek sappheiros meaning blue stone but corundum can come in every colour depending on the impurities in the material.

Blue sapphire corundum value.

A ruby is a pink to blood red coloured gemstone a variety of the mineral corundum aluminium oxide other varieties of gem quality corundum are called sapphires ruby is one of the traditional cardinal gems together with amethyst sapphire emerald and diamond. Another famous variety of corundum is ruby. So if ruby is red and sapphire is blue what about the orange yellow green and violet corundum as well as all the other shades in between. Those varieties are also considered sapphires and are sometimes called fancy sapphires.

Corundum is best known for its gem varieties ruby and sapphire. While ruby is the red form of the mineral corundum sapphire is defined as any other color variety of corundum. Sapphire is the blue variety of the mineral corundum and is the most popular blue gemstone. Ruby is the red variety and sapphire is the variety that encompasses all other colors although the most popular and valued color of sapphire is blue.

The color of a ruby is due to the element chromium. Although hue counts the closer to a pure blue the better saturation is more important. Colors of sapphire sapphire is generally known as a blue gemstone but surprisingly it comes in a wide range of colors and quality variations. Color is the most important element in estimating the value of blue sapphire.

Sapphire ceylon untreated blue si vvs type ii 3 000 to 5 500 per carat. In the gem industry sapphire without any color prefix such as blue sapphire refers to the blue variety of the mineral corundum. Inclusions in general burmese thai and australian blue sapphires contain crystals of plagioclase feldspars orthoclase niobite columbite calcite monazite zircon apatite fergusonite and thorite. The word ruby comes from ruber latin for red.

However the term sapphire encompasses all other gem varieties and colors of corundum as well except ruby which is the red variety of corundum which has its own name. Non gem corundum is abundant throughout the world. Sapphires exist in a variety of colors. Red corundum is known as ruby and all other colored corundum including colorless or white sapphire as it is known in the trade is sapphire although blue is the most well known.

Sapphires are generally categorized as blue sapphires any sapphire with a predominantly blue hue or fancy sapphires sapphires of any other color. In fact gem quality corundum can occur in many different colors such as orange pink green purple and others. Many sapphires on the market are actually grayish.