The Sapphire is commonly worn in jewelry and may be found naturally or it may be manufactured for industrial or decorative purposes. Because of the gem’s hardness, sapphires are also used in non-ornamental applications such as infrared optical components in scientific instruments, wristwatch crystals and movement bearings, and insulating substrates of special purpose solid-state electronics. Although sapphires are well known for their blue color, they may be found in many colors, even gray and black, as well as colorless. The cost of natural sapphires depends on their color, clarity, size, cut and geographic origin. Significant deposits are found in Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, China, Madagascar, Africa and Montana. Usually, the same geographic environment produces both rubies and sapphires, but one of the gems is generally more abundant at any location.
