Two gemstones.
Side by side.

GEMSTONE ONE

Ilmenite

Ilmenite guide: identity, composition FeTiO₃, hardness 5–6, origins, collecting and care.

Colour & appearance

Iron-black to dark grey, metallic or submetallic

Mineral family

iron titanium oxide mineral

Mohs hardness

5–6

Representative source regions

Norway; Australia; India; Russia

Norway Australia India Russia

Jewellery & care

Primarily an ore mineral and display specimen; everyday jewellery use is rare and can obscure its natural identity.

BlackGrey

Read the Ilmenite guide

GEMSTONE TWO

Sapphire

Sapphire is a gem variety of corundum, often associated with blue but also found in other colours. Its hardness makes it an enduring jewellery material, although the secu...

Colour & appearance

Blue and other colours

Mineral family

Corundum (Al₂O₃)

Mohs hardness

9

Representative source regions

Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Myanmar, Australia, Thailand and Montana in the United States are recognised sources. The Kashmir region is historically famous for highly valued blue sapphires.

Sri Lanka Madagascar Myanmar Australia Thailand United States

Jewellery & care

Choose the style and setting to suit the specific stone, treatment information and intended use.

Blue

Read the Sapphire guide

Hardness measures scratch resistance, not breakage. Source regions are educational examples, not claims about the provenance of an individual GEMHOOD product. Images may be digital gemstone illustrations.