Sapphire

Sapphire and Ruby actually belong to the same Corundum family of minerals, but merely differ in colour. Today, they are mined in locations around the world, though the most ‘famous’ sources for these stones are Myanmar, Sri Lanka and East Africa.

While the name ‘Ruby’ is typically reserved for red corundum, Sapphire occurs in a whole spectrum of colours, from yellow to pink, violet, peacock, and teal. With treatment, they can become other colours too. Cornflower Blue Sapphires, Royal Blue Sapphires and Padparadschas are some of the most famous, specifically named colours of this gem type. Gem-quality stones of these types are very, very rare, especially pieces that are untreated. 

Padparadsha is the name given to Corundum Sapphire, which has the perfect blend between pink and orange, like a blushing sunset, or the same hue as Lotus Flower petals. Padparadscha means ‘Lotus Flower’ in Singhalese, the language of Sri Lanka, which is the most famous source for the production of these stunning and very rare stones.

Sapphire is an excellent choice for everyday wear as its hardness is 9 on the Moh’s scale, meaning that they are very difficult to scratch. Indeed, they can only be scratched by other corundum and Diamond.