Blue Sapphire Corundum Value
Sapphire ceylon untreated blue si vvs type ii 3 000 to 5 500 per carat.
Blue sapphire corundum value. In the gem industry sapphire without any color prefix such as blue sapphire refers to the blue variety of the mineral corundum. Non gem corundum is abundant throughout the world. Sapphire is the blue variety of the mineral corundum and is the most popular blue gemstone. Ruby and sapphire are scientifically the same mineral but just differ in color.
Another famous variety of corundum is ruby. The color of a ruby is due to the element chromium. 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. Color is the most important element in estimating the value of blue sapphire.
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. Those varieties are also considered sapphires and are sometimes called fancy sapphires. Gem quality corundum is often found in placer deposits. Many sapphires on the market are actually grayish.
While ruby is the red form of the mineral corundum sapphire is defined as any other color variety of corundum. Top sapphires reach vivid saturation. Although hue counts the closer to a pure blue the better saturation is more important. Sapphires exist in a variety of colors.
In fact gem quality corundum can occur in many different colors such as orange pink green purple and others. 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. 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. Colors of sapphire sapphire is generally known as a blue gemstone but surprisingly it comes in a wide range of colors and quality variations.
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. 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. Inclusions in general burmese thai and australian blue sapphires contain crystals of plagioclase feldspars orthoclase niobite columbite calcite monazite zircon apatite fergusonite and thorite.