| Throughout history, precious gems have been | | | | make it red, it is known as a ruby. |
| often understood to be rubies, sapphires, | | | | Rubies are the red-colored form of corundum. A |
| emeralds and diamonds. Today, these beauties | | | | ruby's natural crystal form is a hexagonal prism. |
| are referred to as gems like any other but the | | | | When a ruby or sapphire has impurities or weaker |
| reputation of these popular gemstones makes | | | | shades of color, they can be heat-treated to |
| them the most sought after pieces. | | | | enhance their spectacular glow. Typically, |
| Rubies and sapphires are derived from Corundum | | | | heat-treated sapphires and rubies are not as |
| or Aluminum Oxide, a mineral running second only | | | | valuable or as desirable as naturally deep colored |
| to diamond as the hardest natural mineral in | | | | and translucent stones. Rubies are very valuable |
| existence. Volcanic processes in the depths of the | | | | and a ruby of 5 carats or more may be valued at |
| earth by the metamorphic processes used to | | | | millions of dollars. |
| transfer high heat and high-pressure into | | | | Emeralds are derived from Beryllium Aluminum |
| crystalline forms form this mineral. These | | | | Silicate, a rare and hard mineral that is formed in |
| Aluminum Oxide crystals alone are clear and only | | | | intrusive, igneous origins in caves with granite and |
| when impurities enter the rock during the | | | | pegmatite. Some of the most valuable and |
| recrystallization process do they form the | | | | famous emeralds come from Colombia. Beryl |
| traditional precious stones rubies and sapphires. | | | | deposits hae also been found in metamorphic |
| Corundum comes in a variety of colors and | | | | rocks where beryllium, aluminum and silicate |
| depending on the translucence of the crystal-field | | | | elements seep out of granite and crystallize on |
| can be highly valuable. | | | | silica-poor rock formations in the near vicinity. |
| Sapphires are formed when small amounts of | | | | These beautiful green to green-blue gems are |
| titanium and iron seep into the cooling Aluminum | | | | hexagonal crystals formed when the element |
| Oxide. These blue gemstones come in a range of | | | | chromium interacts with Beryl. Most precious |
| shades, from pale, icy blue to a deeper cobalt | | | | gemstones are devalued when imputities or gas |
| color. Sapphires can also be orange-pink, purple, | | | | bubbles and other minerals (inclusions) or tiny |
| green, white, golden and black, depending on | | | | fractures are formed within the gemstone. For |
| traces of other elements. Any sapphire other | | | | emeralds, this is not the case. Instead, this gives |
| than blue is known as a 'fancy' sapphire. Sapphires | | | | the stone 'character' and ensures its unique, |
| are a trigonal gemstone meaning the natural | | | | one-of-a-kind value. Other less valuable varieties |
| crystal form is a three-sided prism. An interesting | | | | of beryl gemstones include heliodor, morganite |
| form of sapphire is when it is combined with the | | | | and aquamarine. The largest uncut emerald in the |
| element rutile creating an asterism and gives a six | | | | world, found in Carnaiba, Brazil in 1974 was 86,136 |
| pointed star shape when viewed with an | | | | carats. The Gachala Emerald, the largest emerald |
| overhead source of light. When a sapphire is fully | | | | crystal at 858 carats, was found in La Vega de |
| saturated with impurities of chromium, which | | | | San Juan mine in 1967. |