eli5 What determines whether a gem is a sapphire, ruby, emerald, diamond, etc if those gems don’t necessarily have to be the most common thought color? For example, sapphires can be colors other than blue. What’s the difference between a red sapphire and a ruby?
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Sapphire and ruby are both *corundum,* a crystal made of aluminum oxide, but with different colors due to trace amounts of various other chemicals. If it’s colored red, we call it ruby, otherwise we call it sapphire. There’s no difference between a red sapphire and a ruby (other than the name we give it).
Emerald is a totally different chemical compound, namely *beryl* or beryllium aluminium silicate, which can occur in its own range of colors depending on what trace elements it contains.
Diamond is yet another totally different chemical compound, made of pure carbon.
Sapphire and ruby are both *corundum,* a crystal made of aluminum oxide, but with different colors due to trace amounts of various other chemicals. If it’s colored red, we call it ruby, otherwise we call it sapphire. There’s no difference between a red sapphire and a ruby (other than the name we give it).
Emerald is a totally different chemical compound, namely *beryl* or beryllium aluminium silicate, which can occur in its own range of colors depending on what trace elements it contains.
Diamond is yet another totally different chemical compound, made of pure carbon.
The difference is that they are different kinds of minerals. A ruby is a red or pinkish version of the mineral corundum (aluminum oxide), while other colors are called sapphire. A red sapphire is the same thing as a ruby.
But an emerald is the mineral beryl with trace amounts of chromium or vanadium turning it green. Diamonds are a form of carbon arranged in a diamond cubic crystal structure.
The difference is that they are different kinds of minerals. A ruby is a red or pinkish version of the mineral corundum (aluminum oxide), while other colors are called sapphire. A red sapphire is the same thing as a ruby.
But an emerald is the mineral beryl with trace amounts of chromium or vanadium turning it green. Diamonds are a form of carbon arranged in a diamond cubic crystal structure.
In general, different gems are different minerals. The one you specifically asked, funnily enough, is an exception. A ruby is just a red sapphire – both are primarily aluminum oxide, with other trace minerals in there which will mess around with the color.
In general, different gems are different minerals. The one you specifically asked, funnily enough, is an exception. A ruby is just a red sapphire – both are primarily aluminum oxide, with other trace minerals in there which will mess around with the color.
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