# Sapphires and rubies **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sapphires-and-rubies/773784 "2016-12-03T23:15:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sapphires-and-rubies/773784/1 "2016-12-03T23:15:53Z")
1. So red corundum is a ruby, and pink corundum is still a sapphire. Where exactly do they draw the line between lighter rubies and darker pink sapphires? What would you call something that straddled that line, anyway? Suby? Rapphire? Is it possible for jewelers to disagree on what category a stone is? 2. In English, we’ve decided that red corundum is its own thing, but other colors are lumped together as types of sapphire (with the possible exception of padparadscha). Do other cultures divide them up differently? ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sapphires-and-rubies/773784/2 "2016-12-04T00:14:19Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > 1. So red corundum is a ruby, and pink corundum is still a sapphire. Where exactly do they draw the line between lighter rubies and darker pink sapphires? What would you call something that straddled that line, anyway? Suby? Rapphire? Is it possible for jewelers to disagree on what category a stone is? [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby#Ruby_vs._pink_sapphire) indicates that the ruby/pink sapphire distinction is a relatively recent thing that’s limited to the US, and that “a minimum color saturation must be met to be called a ruby”. I’d take that to mean there’s some sort of standard for what shades are considered rubies vs. pink sapphires, but the Wikipedia article doesn’t provide any specifics about this. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sapphires-and-rubies/773784/3 "2016-12-04T00:25:24Z")
Huh. I was reading the Wikipedia article on _corundum_, not rubies, they didn’t mention it there that I saw. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sapphires-and-rubies/773784/4 "2016-12-04T00:50:10Z")
Since when are sapphires _pink_? I know they can be different colors, but I always think of blue. And indeed, a few moments with Google confirms that blue is the most common color. > [@](#): > > In the gem trade, Sapphire without any color prefix refers to the blue variety of the mineral Corundum. > **[Sapphire: The gemstone Sapphire information and pictures](https://www.minerals.net/gemstone/sapphire_gemstone.aspx)** > > Detailed gem and jewelry information guide about the corundum blue gemstone sapphire: information & pictures. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sapphires-and-rubies/773784/5 "2016-12-04T01:43:00Z")
Sapphire is a variety of aluminum oxide. It’s valuable when it has clear and consistent color. Blue sapphires are the most recognized but they come in many colors. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sapphires-and-rubies/773784/6 "2016-12-04T04:24:30Z")
And in fact, pure sapphire is colorless. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sapphires-and-rubies/773784/7 "2016-12-04T18:19:32Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby#Ruby_vs._pink_sapphire) indicates that the ruby/pink sapphire distinction is a relatively recent thing that’s limited to the US, and that “a minimum color saturation must be met to be called a ruby”. I’d take that to mean there’s some sort of standard for what shades are considered rubies vs. pink sapphires, but the Wikipedia article doesn’t provide any specifics about this. So they’ve stopped killing pigeons? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sapphires-and-rubies/773784/8 "2016-12-04T19:03:55Z")
> [@quiltguy](#): > > So they’ve stopped killing pigeons? 😕 I assume this is some sort of joke, but in case it’s not, “pigeon’s blood” is a term used to describe the color of the reddest rubies. This is a metaphor and does not involve actual pigeons. I don’t know if there’s any objective standard for what counts as a pigeon’s blood ruby. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sapphires-and-rubies/773784/9 "2016-12-04T19:11:29Z")
Show a few to a pigeon and see if it faints?