Two gemstones.
Side by side.

GEMSTONE ONE

Emerald

Emerald is a green member of the beryl family and one of the best-known coloured gems. Its appearance can include natural inclusions. Buyers should ask for treatment info...

Colour & appearance

Green

Mineral family

Beryl (Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈)

Mohs hardness

7.5–8

Representative source regions

Colombia, Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Pakistan are important known source regions.

Colombia Zambia Brazil Zimbabwe Ethiopia Afghanistan Pakistan

Jewellery & care

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

Green

Read the Emerald 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.