Two gemstones.
Side by side.

GEMSTONE ONE

Cacoxenite

Cacoxenite: hydrated iron aluminium phosphate, Mohs 3–4. Explore identification, origins, buying, safe handling and care.

Colour & appearance

Golden yellow, orange-yellow, brownish yellow and deep orange

Mineral family

Hydrated iron aluminium phosphate

Mohs hardness

3–4

Representative source regions

Czech Republic; Brazil; Portugal; United States

Czech Republic Brazil Portugal United States

Jewellery & care

Best as a protected collector specimen rather than everyday jewellery, especially in the fine needle habit. The illustrative image is not an authenticated mineral specimen or product photograph.

GoldenOrangeYellow

Read the Cacoxenite 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.