Gemstone of the Week

   The gemstone of the week is...... sapphire! Previously, the gemstone of the week was opal, and now we are going to be talking about sapphire. Sapphire is a gemstone containing mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide, when it is a color other than red. The most common types of sapphire are blue and yellow. Any other color like red would be a ruby, or a different gemstone. What makes this gemstone a different color is the mixture of different types of elements and minerals. Iron, titanium, or chromium can make it pink, purple, orange, or other colors. The rare variety of sapphire is a pink-orange sapphire called padparadscha. Sapphire can be found in large crystal boules. It is rare and expensive, which is perfect for jewelry. It is mined in many places in the world, such as Sri Lanka and Madagascar. The amazing scientific thing about sapphire is that since it is so hard, it is used in many applications. It is used in infrared optical components, watch crystals, high-durability window, and wafers for the deposition of thin films of semiconductors. Who knew a gemstone can be so convenient and useful! The cost of many gemstones is depending on how big they are, but sapphires are different. The cost for sapphires depends on the color, clarity, size, cut, and geographic origin. By geographic origin I mean where it was mined or found. Here is a list of where important sapphire deposits are found: Eastern Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and in the Missouri River near Helena, Montana. Sapphire can be any color but red, the color of a ruby, but they are both found in the same areas most often. I collect gemstones, and have a rare type. I have a mixture of sapphire and ruby, but in the same stone! It is from Madagascar. Sapphire is a great stone for me because it is my birthstone. I hope I can learn more about it, and I hope you enjoyed reading! Thank you!

                                                  -Matthew