Corund
Hardness: 9
Chemical formula: Al2O3, Aluminum Oxide
Varietetsnavn: RUBY and SAPPHIRE
This is a picture by my recent work with Lars Harsheim. Bracelet with rubies and diamonds.
Corundum can be colorless, red, pink, blue, black, brown, orange, yellow, green, indigo, purple etc. Red corundum and most of the pink varieties are called ruby, blue corundum is called sapphire. The other colors are also called sapphire but with the name of the color in front of the word sapphire. Eg. yellow sapphire, green sapphire, etc.
Colorless stones are the purest and are called white. They are pretty rare but unfortunately not much worth because they have less luster than the color. The color is a sign of impurities and of corundum is that, unlike in most other gemstones, filth that is desired and provides value.
Orange sapphires are sometimes called PADPARADSCHA which is the color of the lotus flower of Sri Lanka. The name is unfortunately not used so often nowadays and it's a shame because it's such a beautiful word.
RUBY - Month Stone for July
Ruby has been called the queen of gems. The color was associated with blood and flame, and was therefore a symbol of victory, goodness and love.It is rare to find rubies larger than 3 carats with no inclusions.The most valuable comes from Myanmar (Burma) for the optimal color is described as doveblood red.Thailand is today the most important discoveries of rubies, but the rocks here have a deeper and more violet to brownish tone.Stones from Sri Lanka, however, bright, almost raspberry red.There are rubies in Norway, but they are often opaque and dark. Synthetic rubies were first produced in l885.
SAPPHIRE - Month Stone for September
SAPPHIRE, with no color designation front, the blue corundum.The word sapphire comes from the Roman lapis lazuli - sapphiros. Romans called green sapphire for emerald, blue sapphire, hyacinth and purple sapphire amethyst.The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a sapphire and the sky reflected color from this. From the sky come rain, wind and thunderstorms and the blue color was attributed to divine power and considered sacred. It was a symbol of meditation, would be able to provide tranquility, peace and wisdom to the wearer and the talisman for travelers.
Sapphire is in nature more common than ruby, both in number and size. The most expensive sapphires come from Kashmir in India. Colour is described as cornflower blue, but sapphires from Myanmar ar is famous for its intense color. In Sri Lanka, we have found large, beautiful stones, but the color is often light and uneven color zones so that the crystal can see partially into colorless as seen from the side. Stones from Thailand and Australia, however, are dark. Elsewhere, Africa (Madagascar, Kenya and Tanzania), Burma, Cambodia, and Montana in the U.S. Other varieties of corundum are yellow sapphire, green sapphire, white sapphire and of course pink sapphire.Both ruby and sapphire can be rutile inclusions that can provide star power when the stone is cut as cabochon. It has been produced synthetic sapphires in large quantities from 18. century.
