Two gemstones.
Side by side.

GEMSTONE ONE

Marcasite

Marcasite: iron disulphide with pale brass-yellow to silvery metallic appearance; Mohs 6–6.5. Mineral identification, origins, care and buying guide.

Colour & appearance

Pale brass-yellow to silvery metallic

Mineral family

Iron disulphide

Mohs hardness

6–6.5

Representative source regions

France; United Kingdom; Germany; United States

France United Kingdom Germany United States

Jewellery & care

Decorative marcasite jewellery trade names often denote pyrite; actual fragile marcasite specimens are poor choices for daily wear. Unlike a photographed product listing, this guide's AI illustration is not a real individual speci...

Yellow

Read the Marcasite 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.