Although the terms precious gemstone and semi-precious gemstones are not used as much as they were in the past, ruby, sapphire and emerald are still the most popular gemstones available. Why are rubies, sapphires, and emeralds the big three colored gemstones? One reason is hardness. Rubies and sapphires are both at 9 on the Mohs hardness scale while emerald comes in at 7.5. The chemical composition of ruby and sapphire is exactly the same called corundum and only if it is red do we call it ruby. All other colors of corundum are called sapphires but blue is the hue most people think of when they discuss sapphire. Other colors of sapphire are usually qualified with the color name such as pink sapphire. All three of these gems are rarely found in nature but so are many other gemstones. So why are these three more precious and generally more expensive than all the other gemstones? Each gemstone represents the purest examples of the primary colors red, blue, and green. Combine those primary colors with the exception hardness of each gem type and you can see why they have been so popular thoughout history.

Always remember when evaluating these three gemstones that color is paramount. The best rubies are red not pinkish red or purplish red. Emeralds should have a highly saturated green hue rather than blue green, yellow green, or brownish green. Sapphires should be blue rather than purplish blue, greenish blue, or violet. Secondary colors in gemstones are almost always present and can be desirable but the highest percentage of primary hue should be the goal of a true gem connoisseur. Clarity should be the second quality to judge in emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. Lastly, the cut and polish should be your third quality to look at.

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