Sapphire - The September Birthstone

Sapphires are members of the corundum family of minerals. They exist in nearly every color except red, because red corundum is always called ruby. One of the hardest minerals, sapphires are durable gemstones that have been in demand since ancient times.

Sapphire Hardness

• 9 on the Mohs' scale; compare to diamonds at 10 and turquoise at 5-6.

Sapphire Colors

• Cornflower blue is the most popular sapphire color, but all shades of blue are found

• Sapphires exist in many other colors, including yellow, colorless, black, white, orange, pink, and brown

• A variety of orangish-pink sapphire is called padparadsha, which means "lotus flower."

Sapphire Treatments

• Heat treatment is commonly used to deepen sapphire color and improve clarity

Where Sapphires Are Found

• Quality sapphires are found in Ceylon, Thailand, Australia, India, Burma, Africa, and Brazil.

Unusual Sapphires

• Some sapphires are cut into cabochons (smooth domes) and produce a star with six rays that stretch across the sapphire's surface.

Synthetic Sapphires

• Like many other popular gemstones, sapphires can be created in a laboratory. Some synthetic sapphires are difficult to distinguish from gemstones formed in nature.

Sapphire Buying Advice

Is It a Real Gemstone?

Common Gemstone Treatments

More Birthstones