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Sapphires are a precious gemstone that come in many colors, including blue, pink, purple, orange, and green. They are a variety of the mineral corundum, which is made of aluminum oxide.

Color:

Sapphires can be any color except red, which is called a ruby.

Sapphires that are not blue are called "fancies".

Sapphires that have two or more colors are called "parti sapphires".

The color of a sapphire is determined by trace amounts of elements like iron, titanium, cobalt, boron, or silicon.

Hardness:

Sapphires are very hard, with a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.

Only diamonds are harder than sapphires.

Formation:

Sapphires form deep within the Earth over millions of years.

They are formed when liquid magma cools and minerals crystallize.

Uses:

Sapphires are used in jewelry, including engagement rings and earrings.

Synthetic sapphires are used in the windows of spacecraft and supermarket scanners.