Are Rubies And Sapphires The Same Thing

Ruby sapphire and fancy sapphire.

Are rubies and sapphires the same thing.

Defining ruby and sapphire. Both rubies and sapphires are varieties of the mineral corundum. Sapphire and ruby crystals can grow to large sizes. Scientifically rubies and sapphires are simply varieties of corundum a crystalline form of aluminum oxide al 2 o 3 with impurities or trace elements such as iron titanium or chromium these impurities create the wide range of colors found in corundum crystals.

Trace amounts of impurities determine if a gem corundum will be a brilliant red ruby or a beautiful blue sapphire. The source of the name sapphire is the greek saphiros which means blue. Rubies are specifically corundum which has chromium impurities which give it the red color. Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide al 2 o 3 typically containing traces of iron titanium vanadium and chromium.

Ruby and sapphire are scientifically the same mineral but just differ in color. It s all in the family. Yes that is true. Many people don t know that rubies and sapphires belong to the same gem family which is called corundum.

The three other types of precious stones rubies sapphires and emeralds are all referred to as colored stones. Corundum has two primary gem varieties. Gems generally get their colour because of certain metals or impurities contained in the mineral. Most people don t realize that ruby and sapphire are both gems of the mineral corundum both of these gemstones have the same chemical composition and the same mineral structure.

Both are made of alumina and oxygen but they just differ in color. When they figured out that ruby was a corundum they gave it its own name from the latin rubeus which means red. The thing that most people find the most shocking about rubies and sapphires when learning about them for the first time is that they are both from the same mineral. It is a rock forming mineral it is also a naturally transparent material but can have different colors depending on the presence of transition metal impurities in its crystalline structure.

Sapphires and rubies are both gem varieties of the mineral corundum. Corundum is best known for its gem varieties ruby and sapphire. Rubies and sapphires are both made of a mineral called corundum which is a crystalline material made of aluminum oxide. 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.

The impurities in corundum gems produce the large range of colours found. In fact aside from their coloring they are essentially the same stone.