Two gemstones.
Side by side.

GEMSTONE ONE

Staurolite

Staurolite: Robust brown crystals, often showing natural cross-shaped twinning embedded in mica-rich schist. Discover properties, identification, care and buying consider...

Colour & appearance

Reddish brown, dark brown to black

Mineral family

Iron aluminium silicate, staurolite group

Mohs hardness

7–7.5

Representative source regions

United States; France; Switzerland; Russia

United States France Switzerland Russia

Jewellery & care

Primarily a collector and keepsake mineral; rough cross crystals can be worn as protected pendants but are not faceted-jewellery essentials.

BrownBlack

Read the Staurolite 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.