◂ BACK TO GEM ENCYCLOPEDIA
Sapphire
The name “sapphire” can also apply to any corundum that’s not ruby red, another corundum variety.
See Gem As
Tools
Research
Brilliance Exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
A glimpse at the rare gems recently on display at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s Brilliance: The Art and Science of Rare Jewels exhibit.
Yellow Sapphires with Unstable Color
A lab in Bangkok shares study on color stability in yellow sapphire.
Fifth Annual Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award Winner
Meghan Simmons, a graduate of GIA’s Jewelry Design program at the Carlsbad campus, received the fifth annual Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design.
Blue Sapphires from Mogok, Myanmar: A Gemological Review
A gemological analysis of blue Burmese sapphires from Mogok, based on a series of field expeditions over the last decade.
Mineral Inclusions in Sapphire from Basaltic Terranes in Southern Vietnam: Indicator of Formation Model
Proposes a formation model for sapphire from the main deposits in southern Vietnam based on the chemical composition of their mineral inclusions.
A Review of Analytical Methods Used in Geographic Origin Determination of Gemstones
Geographic origin determination relies on a combination of gemological observations and advanced analytical tools. This contribution reviews the analytical methods commonly used to establish origin.
A Quantitative Description of the Causes of Color in Corundum
Presents a quantitative means of determining the causes of color in a gem material, using corundum’s six major chromophores as an illustration.
Geology of Corundum and Emerald Gem Deposits: A Review
Over the last two decades, knowledge of the formation of gem deposits has improved significantly. This article reviews the state of our knowledge of the geology and genesis of gem corundum and emerald deposits.
The Geographic Origin Dilemma
An overview of the geographic origin complexities facing the gem and jewelry industry today.
Field Gemology: Building a Research Collection and Understanding the Development of Gem Deposits
With more than 90 field expeditions on six continents since 2008, GIA has accumulated over 22,000 colored stone reference samples. This extensive collection of colored stones with known origins supports GIA’s research on geographic origin determination.
Geographic Origin Determination of Blue Sapphire
In some cases, the value of a sapphire depends strongly on its geographic origin. This article details the origin data GIA has collected for blue sapphire and describes its methodology for using the data in geographic origin determination.
Mineral Inclusions in Ruby and Sapphire from the Bo Welu Gem Deposit in Chanthaburi, Thailand
Identifies mineral inclusions in corundum from this locality for comparison with other global deposits.
