What’s more, sapphires don’t just develop in any rock, they crystalize in slow cooling igneous or metamorphic rocks that are rich in aluminum and devoid of silicon (note: silicon is one of the most common elements in the crust of the earth, which is part of the reason why they are so rare). They formed deep in the Earth’s crust over 150 millions years ago due to certain shifts in heat and pressure. Sapphire: All natural sapphires are incredibly old. Unlike sapphires, emeralds will always be green, but the vividness and intensity vary. It gets its beautiful color from trace elements of chromium and/or vanadium. However, with red corundum, more chromium is present, giving it that dark pinkish to blood-red color.Įmerald: Emeralds are a variety of the mineral beryl. A ruby gets its color from chromium, as do purple sapphires. So, essentially, a ruby is a red sapphire (or red corundum). It is the only color of corundum that is not called a sapphire.

When a mineral corundum is red, it is classified as a ruby. Ruby: A ruby is actually the same exact type of mineral as a sapphire, except it is red. While typically blue, a sapphire can be yellow, purple, orange, green or white depending on the various elements and how much it contains (for example, just a hundredth of a percent of iron and titanium will make it blue, and the more iron it has, the darker blue it will be). These trace elements within the aluminum oxide are what give a sapphire its color. It consists of aluminum oxide as well as other trace elements, such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium or magnesium.

Sapphire: A sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum. Hopefully this comparison will help you make a decision on which precious gemstone is right for you…

General Info (What kind of mineral is it?).

Need help deciding between a sapphire, ruby or emerald? We have matched up the Big Three Gemstones based on the following categories: Having various rings and jewelry with sapphires, rubies, and emeralds would be nothing short of amazing, but what if you could only choose one? Would you pick a sapphire, ruby or emerald? SAPPHIRE VS RUBY VS EMERALD Sapphires, rubies and emeralds are three of the most coveted, valuable, beautiful, and rare gemstones in the world.

Ruby sapphire gem