Although sapphires are best known for being blue, they occur in almost every colour, except red.
Sapphire is Earth's hardest mineral after diamond, so it can't be scratched by any other mineral.
Hardness refers to a mineral's resistance to being scratched, while toughness refers to its ability to withstand impact and resist breaking or chipping.
Historically, the name sapphire has caused considerable confusion. The name originates from the French 'saphir', which comes from the Latin 'sapphirus', and the Greek 'sappheiros'.
The confusion arises because 'sappheiros' was used in ancient times for lapis lazuli.
The modern understanding of the gemstone known today as 'sapphire' evolved much later.
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