Two gemstones.
Side by side.

GEMSTONE ONE

Cryolite

Cryolite (Na₃AlF₆), Mohs 3–3.5: an illustrated guide to crystal habit, identification, origins, collecting and safe care.

Colour & appearance

Colourless, white, brown, grey

Mineral family

Sodium aluminium fluoride

Mohs hardness

3–3.5

Representative source regions

Greenland; Russia; United States

Greenland Russia United States

Jewellery & care

Primarily a historical and scientific mineral specimen rather than a durable gemstone for jewellery. The GemHood picture is a generated educational illustration; it is not an authenticated specimen, laboratory result or sale item.

ColourlessWhiteBrownGrey

Read the Cryolite 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.