Corundum (Ruby & Sapphire)

Ruby

In Sanskrit, the ancient sacred language of India, ruby is called ratnaraj, which means “King of Gems”.

In nature, large, high-quality rubies are extremely rare and valuable. But industrial production and enhanced treatments increased the availability of the stone and it within reach of most customers.

Did you know that rubies can be found in various countries? They can be found in Afghanistan, Kenya, Madagascar, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, and Vietnam.  Myanmar is said to produce the rubies of the finest quality. And the rubies from Sri Lanka are often lighter in tone than rubies from Myanmar or Thailand.

Were you born in July? Then Ruby is your birthstone!

Marvel at Laurence’s creations with rubies.

Sapphire

Sapphires belong to the same species as rubies: the corundum. It is just a variety of that specie. Any corundum that does not qualify as a ruby, is considered a sapphire.

When you think of a sapphire, you probably imagine a blue stone. And when gemologists and jewelry professionals are talking about “sapphires”, they usually mean the blue ones. But in fact sapphires come in all colors: ranging from very light to very dark greenish, to yellow, orange, pink, purple and all intermediate shades. Yes, even gray, black, brown and colorless sapphires exist.

Some are even parti-colored: they do not have just one solid color, but a combination of different colors.

The most sought-after sapphire? That is the padparadscha sapphire. It ranges from pinkish orange to orange pink.

Most sapphires can be found in Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam.

Were you born in September? Then the sapphire is your birthstone!

Did you know that for centuries sapphires were the symbol for royalty and romance? Start feeling royal now and browse Laurence’s collections here.

  • Orange Sapphire
  • Green Sapphire
  • Sapphire
  • Ruby
  • Padparadscha Sapphire
  • Pink Sapphire
  • Purple Sapphire
  • Yellow Sapphire