What is the difference between ruby and sapphire? In fact, both stones are varieties of the same mineral. Red corundum is called ruby. It contains chromium, which is responsible for the “bloody” color of the gem. Blue corundum is sapphire. Titanium and iron add blueness to it. If there are few impurities, the shade is weak; if there are many, the stone gets a rich color.
Both varieties are classified as precious stones and have high strength - 9 points on the Mohs scale
Their other properties are, for the most part, the same.
Main varieties of corundum
Corundum is a type of mineral stone that is characterized by high hardness and a variety of shades. Thanks to these properties, it is used in jewelry.
The color of a stone depends on its chemical composition:
- Blue, also known as sapphire, contains titanium, vanadium and iron oxide.
- Red (ruby) – chrome, titanium, iron.
- Colorless (leucosapphire) – has no impurities and is therefore more often used in industry.
Some varieties of sapphire have a green tint. They are less attractive than emerald, so they are cheaper.
Sapphire - description of the stone
From the very first day of its discovery, sapphire attracted people with its high strength and beauty. He is called the king of stones, he often became an attribute of power and strength. Sapphires are mined in the following areas:
- Burma;
- Madagascar;
- Sri Lanka;
- USA;
- China;
- Vietnam;
- Thailand;
- India;
- Australia.
There are no industrial deposits on Russian territory. Sapphire is sometimes found on the Kola Peninsula (it has a cornflower blue color with a green tint) and the mines of the Urals (it has a gray tint).
Under the influence of high temperatures, sapphire loses its color, and under the influence of X-rays, on the contrary, its saturation increases. Sapphire can be:
- blue;
- black;
- green;
- yellow;
- white;
- pink;
- blue;
- violet;
- grey;
- pink-orange.
Traditional healers claim that wearing jewelry made from this stone, for example, a ring, helps in treating:
- asthma;
- heart disease;
- skin ailments;
- gynecological pathologies;
- migraine;
- mental disorders;
- kidney;
- diabetes mellitus
Sapphire is credited with various magical properties. The mineral is a talisman against the negative influence of others and helps the owner realize his creative potential. Sapphire is also indispensable for psychics; it is believed that it enhances clairvoyance abilities and helps communicate with the other world.
Earrings with sapphire will help a woman strengthen her love relationship, protect the family hearth, and make its wearer calmer and more decisive. For men, the crystal will help reveal their leadership qualities and mental abilities.
Sapphire is suitable for people born under the zodiac sign Sagittarius and Aquarius. The mineral will have a beneficial effect on them. However, it is contraindicated for those born under the sign of Capricorn, as it enhances their negative qualities. For other representatives of the zodiac circle, sapphire is considered neutral, but it can only be worn intermittently.
AREAS OF USE
Sapphire can be seen not only in jewelry.
- Corundum is indispensable in grinding and sharpening work.
- Used for the manufacture of precision lasers and optical instruments.
- It is also used to make record needles.
- The mineral is used in medicine to replace the lens of the eye. With a sapphire lens, a person is able to distinguish more than a hundred shades of gray.
Magic properties
- Corundum sapphire has been a symbol of loyalty, wisdom, determination and honor since ancient times.
- The mineral will calm you down, help you think soberly, achieve your goals, while maintaining purity of thoughts.
- The most powerful magical abilities are attributed to star sapphires. It is believed that King Solomon's seal contained this mineral.
Care
Medicinal properties
Sapphires are very sensitive to the energy emitted by their owners.
- They only work for people with pure intentions. It’s not for nothing that this corundum is called the stone of nuns.
- In the right conditions, minerals will help stabilize blood pressure, cure skin and eye diseases, improve sleep, and relieve back and joint pain.
- Of course, it is preferable to use natural corundum for treatment.
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Suitable for Zodiac signs
Sapphire is universal for all elements.
- This mineral, which cools the head and guides one to the goal, is best suited for signs prone to ardor - ARIES, TAURUS, AQUARIUS, SAGITTARIUS and LION.
- It is advisable for LIONS to choose crystals of green, orange and yellow colors.
Ruby - description of the stone
Ruby has been known to man since the Bronze Age. In ancient India it was used to make talismans. Ruby is found on all continents except Antarctica. The most expensive minerals are those mined in Asia, usually stones from Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. Rubies are also mined in Tajikistan and East Africa.
Rubies are not only red. Their palette is quite wide - from bright pinks to rich purples. Crystals of deep coral shades are considered the most valuable. In Ancient Rus' they were called red yachts, lalas.
Ruby has a number of useful properties:
- stops bleeding;
- improves intellectual abilities;
- normalizes blood pressure levels in case of hypotension;
- helps in treating ulcers;
- normalizes sleep;
- treats epilepsy, paralysis;
- improves psycho-emotional state;
- increases the tone of the body.
Water charged with ruby is also considered healing. It helps in the treatment of:
- bronchial asthma;
- diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- diseases of the eyes and ENT organs;
- general weakness.
Ruby is considered an ideal decoration for powerful, influential people. For an ordinary person, it brings good luck and restores vital energy. However, you need to take into account that wearing jewelry with red stone for a long time has a negative impact on your overall health. They are believed to drain energy from their owners.
There are many legends associated with ruby. In one of the ancient Indian parables they say that all the red crystals represent pieces of the soul of the devil, who was killed by the gods. He was too powerful and tried to take over the gods and the whole world, so they decided to kill him. The devil's body was broken into many small red pieces and scattered all over the world.
The red crystal gives its owner wisdom, strength and fearlessness. It brings good luck, happiness and prosperity to good people, but to evil people it only enhances their negative qualities.
Ruby is considered the ideal mineral for members of the Leo zodiac family. It enhances their leadership qualities, makes them decisive, courageous, and helps them unleash their creative potential. Ruby is contraindicated for Scorpios, Cancers, Virgos and Taurus. It is an ideal amulet for people working in areas of increased danger to life and health, for example, firefighters. Ruby protects its owner from injury, protects against the evil eye, and warns of impending danger.
What is more expensive - ruby or sapphire?
It is simply impossible to determine which stone will be more expensive. Each of the crystals has a different chemical structure, formula, weight, and shades. A stone with the same carat can have different values, which are influenced by different characteristics. The most expensive rubies are purple-red stones, and sapphires are bright blue with a white or blue star inside.
What to look for when buying a ruby
Ruby is very similar to other minerals, especially garnet, tourmaline, spinel and even glass. Today it is also produced artificially, so to purchase an original stone it is important to pay attention to some features.
- The natural mineral has a bright red glow, which is why it is also called fiery. Artificial stones are usually dull with a shallow shine.
- Experienced jewelers easily process rubies, giving them clear edges that do not have bulges or irregularities.
- When looking at a real ruby under a microscope, you can see small inclusions and other defects. Artificial stones do not have this - they are perfectly clean.
- Natural ruby is highly durable – it is extremely difficult to damage or scratch.
- Since ruby contains chromium, you can notice a purple tint in it. It will differ in its intensity, which depends on the percentage of chromium. Artificial rubies do not have this property.
- The natural mineral takes a very long time to heat up in your hands. If you take a ruby, and it immediately warms up from body temperature, then this means that this is a fake.
- Under ultraviolet rays, the fake takes on an orange tint.
- If you place a real ruby in milk, it should take on a pink tint.
- In real stone, any cracks are zigzag-shaped, while in artificial stones they are smooth and have a bright shine.
- The cross-section of a real ruby is distinguished by the structure of straight layers, while the fake has circular streaks.
Variety of colors
For many, the word “sapphire” evokes an association with the color blue. Blue is kind of a classic gemstone option. But depending on the presence of various impurities, crystals can take on completely different shades, from yellow to pinkish. Such colors are called fantasy.
Yellow
Homogeneous yellow minerals are very rare. Typically, the color of the stone ranges from pale yellow to rich amber; sapphires are found in orange shades. In general, yellow species are quite rare in nature. They are mined in China, the USA, Brazil, Thailand and Madagascar.
Blue
Blue is the most common color of sapphire. The most valuable are cornflower blue shades and clear sky colors. Gems of a rich dark blue hue, but not completely dark, are also valued. It is known that using X-rays a stone can be lightened.
Black
Black stones are usually opaque, but at the same time they have a bright shine and iridescence in the area of the edges. The stone is considered a strong talisman. It is recommended to be worn by men and powerful women.
White
The white mineral or leucosapphire is comparable to a diamond. This is completely transparent corundum, with virtually no impurities in its composition. Natural white crystals are very rare in nature; they are usually obtained by heating colored corundum.
Blue
One of the most expensive shades of gem. Almost all blue specimens were obtained in India. Blue stones are recommended to be worn with caution. This is a very capricious mineral that is suitable for rulers, sages and aesthetes. There is an opinion that blue color reveals the ability to intuition and the gift of clairvoyance.
Green
In fact, the green tint is achieved by superimposing yellow and blue crystals, which can be seen in the structure of sapphire under a microscope. Green samples promote healthy and restful sleep, help remember dreams, which can be interpreted in the future.
Pink
Natural pink sapphires are very rare and are comparable in price to pink diamonds. There are known deposits of pink varieties in Madagascar and Sri Lanka. Sometimes sapphires of this shade are obtained by heating violet ones.
