Sapphires
Sapphires are cut from an extremely hard aluminum oxide called corundum, which is also the source of an even rarer gem, the ruby. Used in everything from necklaces to bracelets to rings, sapphires get their hues—be they blues, violets, or greens—from traces amount of iron and titanium in the mineral.
A rare variant of the sapphire, the padparadscha, ranges in color from pink to orange and occurs only in Sri Lanka. Other sapphires are mined...Continue Reading