Brown Corundum

Here are two new natural brown Corundum as polished slices. This is the family of crystals that includes sapphires and rubies.

I created a video so you can better see them. And a video showing the non-fluoresce except for an unknown inclusion.

These were sold to me as real Ruby and were at the time crimson so someone had coloured them and sell them as trickery. When the colour wore away I got suspicious and a geologist confirmed the were brown corundum, as ruby fluoresces under UV light and these didn’t. I have sold the others to geologists who were delighted to get an uncommon crystal.

There is no way you can damage these brown corundum crystals. This stone is Mohr 9, just below a diamond’s 10.

Healing Properties

Benefits of Sapphire (Blue, Black, Purple Corundum)

• Wisdom stone - each colour having its own wisdom.
• Focuses and calms the mind releasing unwanted thoughts and mental tension.
• Brings in peace of mind and serenity, aligning physical, mental and spiritual planes.
• Releases depression and spiritual confusion.
• Attracts prosperity and gifts of all kinds.

Additional properties for each variety

Black sapphire

• Protective and centring.
• Imparts confidence in own intuition - helps job prospects.

Blue sapphire

• Helps you stay on the spiritual path.
• Use in shamanic ceremonies to transmute negativity.
• Place at throat to release frustration and facilitate self- expression.

Purple Sapphire

Geological Information

Geological of Corundum Family

• Family includes: Sapphire, Ruby
• Ruby has fluorescence! Sapphire can show star patterns!

General Identification

• Type: Mineral
• Class: Oxides
• Member of Group: Hematite
• Mohs Hardness: 9
• Formula: Aluminium oxide, Al₂O₃
• Crystal System: Trigonal
• Crystal Habit: Steep bipyramidal, tabular, prismatic, rhombohedral crystals, massive or granular
• Lustre / Diaphaneity: Adamantine to vitreous, Transparent, translucent to opaque
• Colour: Colorless, gray, brown; pink to red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet; may be color zoned, asteriated mainly grey and brown

Ruby

• Gem stone, the red colour is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium.
• Ruby fluoresces with UV light. Regular corundum does not.
• Has a variety which shows a three-point or six-point asterism or "star" under certain light conditions amd known as "Star Ruby".
• Red corundum is often sold as ruby.
  • It may even be coloured and is often brown corundum.
• Red spinels, red garnets, and colored glass have been falsely claimed to be rubies.
• Quality is improved through heating, improving transparency by dissolving rutile inclusions, healing of fractures (cracks) or even completely filling them.
• More geological information.
• Colours: Red. Pink colour is debated as to whether it will be classified as ruby or sapphire.

Sapphire

• Colour determined by trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, copper, or magnesium.
• Mainly used for jewellery, abrasives, infrared optical components, high-durability windows, wrist-watch crystals and movement bearings, and very thin electronic wafers for very special-purpose solid-state electronics.
• Has a variety which shows a "star" under certain light conditions amd known as "Star Sapphire".
• A rare variety is known as color-change sapphire, exhibits different colors in different light.
• 95% of all the world's sapphires were being heated to enhance their natural color.
• Can be confused with Iolite which is called "Water Sapphire" to add to confusion. But iolite shows as a grey tone when looked from the side.
• More geological information.
• Colours: Any color except red. Best known for blue.

Emery

• Black granular corundum intimately mixed with magnetite, hematite, or hercynite

Geuda

• Form of the mineral corundum, or sapphire, found primarily in Sri Lanka. Around 70%-80% of gems mined in Sri Lanka belong to geuda varieties.
• Semitransparent and milky appearance due to rutile inclusions, these stones have little value as gemstones in their natural state.
• Once heated they rival other natural sapphires for look.

Special Notes

• It is commonly used as an abrasive on everything from sandpaper to large tools.
• High quality versions are part of the precious gem category. Cost of natural crystals varies depending on their colour, clarity, size, cut, quality and geographic origin.
• Nowadays most sapphires and rubies now sold in jewellery stores are synthetic
  • same composition but lacking healing qualities of natural grown pieces.
  • jewelers prefer synthetic as colour is consistent and cutting and setting has little to no risk of damage as there are no imperfections.
• "Ruby in XXX" where xxx is fuchsite, kyanite and/or zoisite is with real ruby.
  • All components are visible but which name used depends on what the mines or wholesalers felt was the more sellable name.