What is sapphire?
Q: What is sapphire?
A: Sapphire is a type of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide (Al2O3).
Q: How does sapphire differ from rubies?
A: Sapphires are the same as rubies, except that they are not red.
Q: Where can sapphires be found?
A: Sapphire can be found in the ground or it can be made in large crystal. Blue sapphires are the most famous kind, but they can be many different colors, like amber and orange. Sapphires are mostly found in Asia, but recent findings have taken place in Australia, Kenya and Tanzania.
Q: What is special about sapphire's history?
A: Sapphires have a long history. Tradition says that the tablets of the Ten Commandments were made of sapphire so strong a hammer could not break them and would break instead if it hit them. The ancient Persians believed that the earth sat on a big sapphire and that the big sapphire made the sky blue. A lot of ancient people thought rubies made people calm down as well as cure their bruises. Sapphires have been used by kings and queens for a long time as a symbol of luck, virtue, wisdom and holiness.
Q: What is Star Sapphire?
A: There is a specific kind of sapphire called Star Sapphire which has whitish pieces of rutile or silk as some call it. Star Sapphires can be heated to remove its blue color then heated even more to get back its blue color while removing its white silk at the same time.
Q: How hard is Sapphire on Mohs Hardness Scale?
A: Since Sapphire is one of second hardest minerals on Mohs Hardness Scale, it is sometimes used as polishing tool.
Q: How do we produce lab grown Sapphire ?
A: Lab grown Sapphires are produced using two strategies - "flame fusion" & "flux growth". Heating yellow , light yellow or colorless sapohire from 1500-1900oc can turn into dark yellow , gold , golden brown , orange or reddish brown colored sapohire .
