Sapphire Jewellery
Sapphire is one of the most valued gemstones in the jewellery industry. A sapphire which colour is red is called a ruby; while other colours such as blue, yellow, pink, purple or green are simply called sapphires. This gemstone comes from the mineral corundum, which is aluminium mixed with oxygen atoms to become aluminium oxide. Pure corundum is white but impurities such as iron, titanium or chromium give the sapphire its various colours. Quality sapphires are mined in Sri Lanka (formerly ancient Ceylon), India, Brazil, South Africa and Burma. It is the birthstone for the month of September.
Blue Sapphires for September
Surprisingly, sapphire possesses a hardness that is very close to diamonds and moissanite. And aside from its gemmological value, sapphire has various industrial applications. It is used in applications like infrared optical instruments, watch crystals, and wafer technology used in semiconductors and electronics.