The Magical, Miraculous, and Many-Faceted Corundum

You are very likely to know about corundum even if there is new information in this post for you. You just might not know it by its true name. Corundum is a clear crystal but rich colors are created because of trace amounts of metals. Chromium makes corundum red and iron or titanium can make corundum a rich, deep blue.

There are two main gemstones that are chemically identical except for the trace metals impacting color. You know the gemstones. Rubies are corundum stones made red by chromium. If you’ve ever seen a midnight blue sapphire, you can thank iron or titanium for coloring the corundum. That’s right. Rubies and sapphires are the same stone.

Of course, sapphires come in many different colors. If you just say, “Sapphire,” in the jewelry industry, you’re referring to the blue variety. However, there are pink, yellow, orange, purple, green, and black sapphires. There is a very rare pink-orange variety called padparadscha. It’s a very popular gem at the moment. Some people call the stone a sapphire if it’s blue and a fancy sapphire if it’s any other color (except red, of course, the ruby.)

Corundum is known for its durability and hardness, making it a popular choice for any jewelry that might be worn every day. Most gems in the corundum family come from Australia, Kashmir, Montana, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, and they’re really growing in popularity when it comes to engagement rings. A fire red ruby or a midnight blue sapphire can make a perfect statement as a center stone or can really complement the diamond as a surrounding stone. They’re also popular in three stone engagement rings.

If you’re in the market for an engagement ring, you might want to consider including a sapphire or a ruby. If you need an engagement ring in San Diego, give me a call. You could also just drop by our La Jolla showroom. However you get in touch, you’ll be glad that you did.

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