Corundum Research Paper

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THE MINERAL CORUNDUM

In the world of jewellery we all are well aware of the gems that adorn royalty and the elite. Many also associate gems such as rubies and sapphires with astrological connotations thereby giving a mystical aura to these gemstones. But scientifically ruby and sapphire are the same mineral and differ only in color and are simply called Corundum.

Corundum is a very hard, tough and stable mineral, being the second hardest mineral on earth after diamond. Chemically, corundum is unaffected by acids and most other environments. Translucent brown Corundum and Emery are the most common forms of Corundum. The physical attributes of these are most favourable and mined …show more content…

Rock Type
Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic

Popularity (1-4)
1
Prevalence (1-3)
2
Demand (1-3)
1

VARIETIES

Emery - Black, massive variety of Corundum, with color caused by mixture of Magnetite, Hematite, and Spinel. Padparadschah - Orange-pink gem variety of Sapphire. Padparadschah is a very rare and sought after variety.

Ruby - Pink to red variety of Corundum. See the gemstone section on Ruby for complete details.

Sapphire - Sapphire refers to all gem varieties of Corundum, excluding the red variety of Corundum which is classified as Ruby. In the gem trade, it refers specifically to the blue gem variety of Corundum, unless a color is mentioned as a prefix to sapphire (i.e. Green Sapphire). Sapphire with a color other than blue is often called a "fancy" in the gem trade. See the gemstone section on Sapphire for complete details. Star Ruby - Ruby displaying asterism in the form of a six-rayed star. Star Sapphire - Sapphire displaying asterism in the form of a six-rayed star.

Ultralite - Incorrect term in the gem trade occasionally used to describe blue …show more content…

Another significant Burmese deposit is Mong Hsu, which is currently a major Ruby producer, though its color isn't as fine as the Mogok material. Sri Lanka, especially the area of Ratnapura, Bibile, and Rakwana, is an excellent source of gem quality Corundum of all colors. The finest and largest crystallized specimens and aggregates of gem-quality Sapphire are from Sri Lanka.

Ruby with a brownish tint comes from Thailand, in the Chantaburi District. Fine gem Ruby and Sapphire comes from Luc Yen, Yenbai Province, Vietnam; the Hunza Valley, Gilgit, Pakistan; and Jegdalek, Sorobi District, Afghanistan. Gem quality Sapphire is well-known at Pailin, Cambodia. Translucent to opaque Ruby, sometimes with asterism, is very abundant at Mysore (Mysuru) and Subramanium, in Karnataka, India.

Africa has recently become a significant producer of Corundum, especially in Madagascar, where it is found in the Zazafotsy Quarry, Ambahatraso; and in Andranondambo, Amboasary District. A famous African locality in which opaque rubies are found in green Zoisite is is in Longido, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. Another important Tanzanian Ruby mine is Winza, in

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