Is Sapphire an Ore of Anything?

Question:
Hi, I want to know if sapphire is an ore of anything?

Answer: Hi there,

Sapphire, along with ruby, is a crystalline variation of the mineral called corundum, which is a form of alumina - aluminum oxide. Ruby is of red color, and sapphire is mostly blue. When we have crystalline corundum of all the other colors except red we also call it sapphire. These colors of sapphire can be traced back to the presence of small quantities of iron and/or titanium.

Now, going directly to your question, gem quality sapphire, as a type of corundum, is not being used as an ore in any technological process. It is true, however, that aluminum is produced out of alumina, Al₂O₃, which has the same chemical formula of sapphire. But, if we used gem quality corundum for aluminum extraction, it would be a very expensive product, indeed.

Rather, the primary ore of aluminum is bauxite. Bauxite is a mixture (composite mineral) of several aluminum hydroxides. In the process of aluminum production, bauxite is being purified and turned into industry quality alumina, which is then used as to get pure aluminum metal in a process called electrolysis.

In conclusion, the answer to your question is yes and no. Sapphire, directly, is not an ore of anything and serves only as raw material for gem production. But, if you want to look at the things on principal basis, alumina - aluminum oxide is one of the immediate steps for aluminium metal production. The formula of sapphire is esentially the same - Al₂O₃.

With love and light,

Olga

Comments:

maria says:
12-05-2011

i like your web site.

sunny says:
12-05-2011

Glad you like it Maria. Thanks for dropping by.

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