Corundum Value, Price, and Jewelry Information


Next to diamond, corundum is the hardest mineral known and is very compact and dense, with no cleavage. As a result, corundum is one of the best of all jewelry stones, especially star corundum, which is tough as well as scratch-resistant. Faceted gems are slightly brittle and can be chipped, though much less easily than other gems. Ruby is red corundum. All other colors of corundum are called sapphires.

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The corundum family of gemstones consists of ruby and sapphire. Corundum is very compact, dense, and lacks gemstone cleavage. It’s also the second hardest natural mineral after diamond. Gem-quality corundum is also quite rare. These factors make both varieties of corundum some of the most highly desired jewelry stones. Ruby is the red variety of corundum. All other colors of corundum, including colorless, are called sapphires.

CORUNDUM: Sapphire, Montana (1.35, 1.77, 1.47, 1.66 // 1.19, 1.10, 1.40, 1.22, 1.30 // 1.03, 1.10, 0.96, 0.95, 2.30). Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.

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Corundum Value

Rubies and sapphires are some of the most valuable and popular of all gemstones. Despite the enormous size of these stones in museums and royal collections, most corundum gems available for sale are usually of more modest size. A 3-4 carat ruby of fine quality would be a rare and very expensive gem in today’s market. Sapphires over 5 carats, clean and with good blue color, are similarly rare and also valuable. Relatively speaking, there is an abundance of good quality small sapphires but not rubies. Very few known ruby deposits can be actively worked, while there are many more sapphire deposits being actively mined.

CORUNDUM: Sapphire, Sri Lanka (184, in gold pendant with diamonds)
Sapphire and ruby are prized jewelry stones. CORUNDUM: Sapphire, Sri Lanka
(184, in gold pendant with diamonds). Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.

Identifying Characteristics

Characteristics of Corundum from Various Localities
LocalityVarietyColoreoBirefringenceS.G.Comments
AustraliaSapphireLight blue1.7611.7690.0084.02
dark blue1.7631.7720.0093.99
green1.7631.7720.0094.00
yellow1.7651,7740.0093.97
yellow-green1.7671,7750.0083.99
golden yellow1.7631.7720.0084.01
Brazil
Jauru, Matto GrossoSapphiredark blue1.7621.7700.0083.95-4.05
BurmaRubyFinest Red1.760-1.7691.768-1.7780.008-0.0093.996
Sapphiredark blue1.7621.7700.0084.00
India
KashmirSapphirefine blue1.7621.7700.0083.99
ColombiaSapphireblue, violet1.7621.7700.0083.99-4.02
JapanRubypurplish-red to pink1.7611.7690.0083.89
MalawiSapphirevarious1.760 -1.7611.7700.009-
Rubyred1.762-1.7631.771-1.7720.009-
NepalRubyred1.7601.7680.0083.98
(Taplejung district)
PakistanRubyred1.7621.7700.0083.99
Hunza Valley
Sri LankaRubyred1.761-1.7631.769-1.7720.0083.99-4.00
Sapphireblue1.757 -1.7601.765-1.7680.0084.00
yellow1.760-1.7611.768 -17690.0083.99-4.01
green1.765 -1.7701.773-1.7790.008-0.0094.00-4.01
TanzaniaRubyred1.7641.7720.0083.99
LongidoSapphireorange1.760-1.7631.768-1.7720.008-0.0093.99
Umba River ValelySapphirered-brown1.763-1.7651.771-1.7730.0083.99-4.06
ThailandRubyred1.760-1.7641.768-1.7720.0084.01
Rubydark red1.7681.7760.0084.00
YugoslaviaRubyred-~1.765-3.80-3.98
Prilip
Note: Colorless: e=1.759 -1.761; o=1.768 -1.769;blue and green: e = 1.762 -1.770; o= 1.770-1.779. Among sapphires the green gems are more iron-rich, have higher indices.
CORUNDUM: Star ruby, Sri Lanka (2.75), Burma (2.6, 0.62), India (8.4
CORUNDUM: Star ruby, Sri Lanka (2.75), Burma (2.6, 0.62), India (8.4). Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.

Inclusions

Star corundum gemstones show asterism, or a "star effect." This phenomenon is created by the inclusion of rutile needles within the host corundum crystal. The rutile needles orient themselves according to the hexagonal symmetry of the corundum, and reflections from these needles provide a chatoyancy. When such material is cut into a cabochon the sheen is concentrated along the top of the stone into three white lines crossing at 120° angles, creating a six-rayed star. Very rarely there are two distinct sets of needles oriented according to the first and second order prisms of the corundum (30° apart), resulting in a strong, 12-rayed star.

For more information on corundum inclusions, see Identifying Origins of Rubies and Sapphires.

CORUNDUM: Sapphire-Star sapphire, Sri Lanka (31.87)
CORUNDUM: Sapphire-Star sapphire, Sri Lanka (31.87). Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.

Enhancements

  • Heat treatment: improves clarity and sometimes color, also used to improve asterism in ruby. Common, often undetectable. Detect with magnification, (halos around included crystals.) Also, if inert and no absorption lines, stone is probably heat treated.
  • Diffusion: improves color or asterism, occasional to common for blue sapphire and star ruby, rare for other colors, stable, detect with immersion and magnification.
  • Thin film coating; enhances or changes color, rare, easily scratched, detect with magnification.
  • Irradiation: produces yellow and orange from light colored material. Occasional, stable, undetectable.
  • Lattice diffusion: produces padparadscha color from light material. Occasional, stable, detect with immersion and magnification.
  • Oil, dye, glass, or other fillers: Hides fractures and improves color. Glass increases weight. Occasional, most stable but oil can dry out. Detect with immersion and magnification.
  • Fracture healing: done by placing natural rubies in flux growth medium. Fills fractures, improves clarity. Stable, common. Detect flux with magnification.
  • Lead glass filling: Fills fractures, improves clarity. Stable, common. Detect flux with immersion.

See corundum treatments for more information.

Sources

Rubies and sapphires are found worldwide.  For location details, see Identifying Origins of Rubies and Sapphires.

Gem-quality corundum is occasionally found in the Czech Republic, Finland, Greenland, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, and Slovakia.

Stone Sizes

Sapphires, in general, reach a far greater size than rubies. A ruby of 30 carats is a great rarity, whereas sapphires in museum collections weighing hundreds of carats are not uncommon. The largest rubies come from the chrome-zoisite matrix in Tanzania, but these are not really of gem quality. Fine gem rubies of large size occur in the Sri Lankan gravels, with smaller ones from Burma and Thailand. Enormous sapphires of fine color and transparency have been found in the gem gravels of Sri Lanka and Burma.  (Most are from Sri Lanka). A 1400 gram ruby was found in Yugoslavia (Prilip) but was not gemmy. Malawi material (sapphire) reaches a size of about 12 carats. Large sapphires have been found in Australia. Montana sapphires over 1 carat are very rare, but the blue ones in this size range are magnificent.

Specific gemstones of significant size are described in the ruby and sapphire entries.

Care

Consult our gemstone care guide for recommended cleaning methods.


Joel E. Arem, Ph.D., FGA

Dr. Joel E. Arem has more than 60 years of experience in the world of gems and minerals. After obtaining his Ph.D. in Mineralogy from Harvard University, he has published numerous books that are still among the most widely used references and guidebooks on crystals, gems and minerals in the world.

Co-founder and President of numerous organizations, Dr. Arem has enjoyed a lifelong career in mineralogy and gemology. He has been a Smithsonian scientist and Curator, a consultant to many well-known companies and institutions, and a prolific author and speaker. Although his main activities have been as a gem cutter and dealer, his focus has always been education. joelarem.com

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