Large Blue Sapphire

Fine-quality blue sapphires in larger sizes are rare, but there are still more of these available than there are rubies. The blue sapphire in the center of this ring weighs 18.79 carats. It is incredible! - Vagabonde Bleue Ring © 2011 Fabergé Ltd

Different Blues

Dark and inky, greenish blue, pure blue, violetish blue – these are some of the shades that can be blue sapphire. See them all sparkle!

Velvety Blue

Deep, rich, velvety blue is the best way to describe the color of this sapphire. It is from the Kashmir area on the India-Pakistan border. - Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA, courtesy Edward Boehm, JOEB Enterprises, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Cushion-Cut Sapphire

Sapphire is a corundum. Corundum is often cut into cushion shapes. - Photo © Robert Weldon, courtesy of Lewis Allen

Colors of Sapphire

Sapphire actually comes in many colors! These colorful sapphires are from the Dr. Eduard J. Gubelin Collection. Dr. Gubelin was best known for his pioneering work on gemstone inclusions. - Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

Pink Sapphire

Some pink sapphires are very rich in color. - Gem courtesy of John Dyer & Co.

Shooting Stars?

If the night sky were lit up by shooting stars, it might look like this. But you are really looking at rutile (a mineral) in sapphire. The magnification of this gem is 60x normal size. - Photo by Nathan Renfro/GIA

Cuts and Colors

Besides coming in all colors, corundum also comes in all cutting styles. - Photo courtesy Ballerina Gems

Star of Asia

The 330-carat Star of Asia sapphire is part of the gem collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. It is currently on exhibit. What do you think of this gem? - Chip Clark, Smithsonian Institution

Silk Inclusions

These long, thin, crossing inclusions of the mineral rutile are called silk. This arrangement can create the star effect in corundum. - Photo © John Koivula

Faceted Sapphire

A “faceted” gem is a cut and polished gem. See this faceted sapphire up close!

Starry Night Sapphire

This is the Starry Night sapphire. Does it make you think of looking up into the night sky? It’s a 111.96-carat velvety blue oval sapphire. The color is similar to Van Gogh’s famous painting, Starry Night. It displays asterism, a phenomenon that reminds you of the swirling stars in the artist’s masterpiece. - Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA, courtesy Treasured Gems and Jewels LLC/Benjamin Zucker