Pink sapphire is natural corundum, the same mineral as ruby, colored by a trace of chromium. We do not carry it. Many strands sold as pink sapphire beads are glass or dyed stone, so check what you are buying.
Corundum · Corundum
Pink Sapphire
Zafiro rosa
- Palette
- Pink
- Mined in
- Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Australia, Thailand, Tanzania, Vietnam
- Hardness
- Mohs 9.0 ?
- See-through
- transparent
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- Latin sapphirus, from Greek sappheiros, once meaning lapis lazuli
- Also sold as
- pink corundum
- Intention
- Calm Protection
- Looking for
- Calm Focus and clarity Protection
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- Pink sapphire beads are usually heated to improve color, and a few are coated. Cheap, very even pink beads sold under the name may be glass or dyed quartz instead.
Not in our pieces now
152 KG
The largest documented corundum crystal, the mineral of ruby and sapphire, measured about 65 by 40 by 40 centimeters and weighed 152 kilograms.
PADPARADSCHA
The pink-orange sapphire padparadscha takes its name from a Sanskrit phrase meaning lotus color.
What it is
Pink sapphire is natural corundum in shades from pale blush to hot pink, clear to translucent with a bright glassy shine. Beads sold as pink sapphire are often glass, dyed quartz or other look-alikes, so the name alone does not mean corundum.
What gives it its color
The pink comes from chromium, the same element that makes ruby red; the more chromium, the deeper the pink. Sapphires are often heated to improve their color.
Where it comes from
Madagascar (around Ilakaka) is the leading sapphire producer, with Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Mogok), Thailand, Tanzania and Vietnam also named as sources.
In history
Pink sapphire is corundum, the same mineral as blue sapphire and ruby, and people have shaped corundum since about 2500 BC, when polished axes were made in China. Evidence of heat-treating sapphire goes back to Roman times, and the famous old sapphires, such as the Stuart Sapphire in the Tower of London and the Logan Sapphire in the Smithsonian, are blue.
What's said about it
Crystal lore keeps sapphire for focus, calm and clear speech, and gives each color its own meaning. Pink is not among the colors it names, so people borrow the family's meaning.
Older gem lore called the sapphire a royal stone. Kings wore it at the neck as a defense from harm and envy, though the old word often meant lapis lazuli.
People wear it as a ring or pendant, or carry it in a pocket.
How people wear or keep it: As a ring or pendant, on the wrist, or in a pocket.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, pink sapphire is paired with the heart chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: as a ring or pendant, on the wrist, in a pocket. People reach for it when they want calm, focus and clarity, protection, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraHeart
ZodiacTaurus
BirthstoneSeptember, April
Anniversary5th (sapphire)
Also calledpink corundum
Care
- Very hard, so natural pink sapphire is fine for everyday wear.
- Clean with mild soapy water and a soft cloth; rinse and dry.
- Most sapphire is heated to improve color, which is stable in normal wear.
- If a strand scratches easily, chips or shows round bubbles under a loupe, it is likely glass, which needs far more gentle handling.
How to tell what you have
- Pink sapphire is corundum colored by a trace of chromium, very hard at 9 and heavier for its size than quartz or glass.
- Beads sold as pink sapphire are often something else, and the bead trade lists some sapphire-named beads as dyed. Dye shows as color gathered in the drill hole or cracks.
- Ask whether a strand is heated, dyed, or natural before you rely on the name.
What sets the price
Beads cost more when the pink is stronger and purer, when they are cleaner, and when they are larger; many are heated for color, which the trade accepts, while unheated stones of fine quality cost more.
Rules and sourcing
Pink sapphire from Myanmar (Burma) falls under US sanctions that block dealings with the Burmese state gem enterprise and other listed Burmese gem companies, so a seller should be able to say where the stones came from. Pink sapphire beads are usually heated, a few are coated, and cheap very even pink beads may be glass or dyed quartz. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose heat or coating and not to call other material sapphire.
Questions people ask at our table
What is pink sapphire?
It is the pink color of corundum, the mineral that also makes ruby and blue sapphire. A trace of chromium gives the pink, and deeper pink has more of it.
Are pink sapphire beads real?
Genuine pink sapphire beads exist but are costly. Many strands sold under the name at low prices are glass, dyed quartz or another look-alike, so ask what the material is and expect to pay gem prices for the real thing.
How do I tell glass from sapphire?
Under a 10x loupe, glass often shows perfectly round bubbles or mold seams, while natural stone shows irregular inclusions. A gemologist's test is the sure answer.
Is it heated?
Heating is common practice for sapphire in general, and some stones are also colored by beryllium diffusion. Sellers should say which, since it affects value.
Do you carry it?
We do not carry it. For a soft pink, look at our rose quartz and pink aventurine.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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