Sedona Gem and Mineral Club

Sapphire is a precious and valuable blue gemstone; the word is derived from Latin and Greek for “blue.” It is a very desirable gemstone due to its excellent color, hardness, durability, and luster. In the gem trade, Sapphire without any color prefix refers to the blue variety of the mineral Corundum.

Sapphires can also be colorless, green, pink, and a wide range of other hues. Rare pink-orange stones are called padparadscha. All colored sapphires are known as fancy. When the sapphire is colored with blue, the mineral construction of the stone has traces of titanium and iron. When pale green, yellow or brown it is colored by iron, and when pink by very small traces of chromium. The color and transparency of sapphire can both be changed by heating the stone or subjecting it to radiation.

Sapphires are among the most durable naturally occurring elements in the world. Gemstones are rated on their ability to withstand scratching based on a system called the Mohs Scale of Hardness, and sapphires score a 9 out of 10. The only natural item that can scratch a sapphire is a diamond, which has a 10 on the Mohs Scale. The durability of sapphires makes them an excellent choice for engagement rings and other jewelry you plan to wear every day.

The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire and its reflection colored the sky. Sapphires have long symbolized truth, sincerity, and faithfulness.