On this page
UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural inorganic gem materials · Mineral / gemstone variety · Natural; common industry optimization (verify with certificate)
Pink Sapphire
A pink gem variety of Corundum; there is no internationally agreed colour boundary between it and Ruby, and heat treatment must be disclosed. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Pink Sapphire forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale; where its colour and optical effects come from, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify Pink SapphireIdentification points from the research literature; how far lab testing can go
- Treatments and enhancements of Pink SapphireThe enhancements and treatments the GB/T and JJA/AGL tables list
- Caring for and wearing Pink SapphireCleaning, heat, chemicals and light, as the cited sources give them; durability indicators and wearing advice
- Hardness, density and refractive index of Pink SapphireEach value with its source and check date
- Pink Sapphire in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Which of GIA, FTC, CIBJO and Gem-A have a name for it on record, and do those agree?
- Listing and disclosing Pink SapphireThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define Pink SapphireWhich clause defines it, each cross-checked
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
Pink sapphire is not an independent mineral species but a colour variety of corundum. Its chromophore is chromium: trace Cr3+ replaces some of the Al3+ ions in the corundum lattice, producing absorption near 560 nm (U band) and 400 nm (Y band) with an R-line at 694 nm, which makes the stone pink. Analysis shows that the heights of the U and Y bands are positively associated with chromium content; in provenance studies pink, orangy pink, purple and purplish red sapphires are commonly grouped as a single Cr3+-dominated “red group”.
Scope: Applies to the natural pink corundum gem variety with Cr3+ as the main colouring element; does not apply to sapphires with other colouring mechanisms or to synthetic/treated corundum.
Sources G&G Spring 2020 · G&G Fall 2022 · G&G Winter 2019
- A Quantitative Description of the Causes of Color in Corundum (Gems & Gemology, Spring 2020, Vol. 56, No. 1)
- Sapphire Beneath the Rich Black Soil of Muling, Northeastern China (Gems & Gemology, Fall 2022, Vol. 58, No. 3)
- Geology of Corundum and Emerald Gem Deposits: A Review (Gems & Gemology, Winter 2019, Vol. 55, No. 4)
Where it forms
The same natural corundum-forming settings as other sapphires (metamorphic, metasomatic and basalt/magmatic-related); provenance work suggests some pink sapphires have chemical fingerprints trending to metamorphic or metasomatic origins.
Sources G&G Fall 2022
How it forms, step by step
Corundum crystallises in its host environment and trace Cr3+ enters the lattice.
Cr3+ substitutes for some Al3+ ions in the lattice, becoming a directly colouring transition-metal chromophore.
The Cr3+ absorptions near 560 nm and 400 nm strengthen with content, giving the stone a pink colour that deepens with saturation.
Link to appearance
The Cr3+ U band (~560 nm), Y band (~400 nm) and the R-line at 694 nm together determine the pink hue of pink sapphire; the U and Y band heights are positively associated with chromium content.
Sources G&G Fall 2022
Timescale
The cited sources give no absolute timescale for pink sapphire formation.
Sources G&G Fall 2022
Related base materials
- Corundum (Al2O3): color variety of corundum
Recorded localities
Authoritative sources list the localities below; the list is not exhaustive.
Africa
- MadagascarAmong the most important commercial sources of blue and pink sapphire from the 1990s (as of 2000)
Sources Gems & Gemology Winter 2000 · Gems & Gemology Spring 2015
- Tunduru, TanzaniaAmong the most important commercial sources of blue and pink sapphire in the 1990s (as of 2000)
Sources Gems & Gemology Winter 2000
- Ilakaka, MadagascarViolet to purple sapphire that can be heat-treated to pink
Sources Gems & Gemology Winter 2000
Asia
- Sri LankaRefers to most heat-treated high-quality blue and pink sapphire in the 1990s
Sources Gems & Gemology Winter 2000
- Muling, Heilongjiang, ChinaPink stones are among the Muling sapphire samples studied
These are localities recorded by authoritative sources, not an origin finding for any individual piece. The CIBJO Gemstone Book (2022, §4.2.3) says a place of origin names where a gem was mined or harvested, is a matter of opinion, does not imply a level of quality, and that cutting, processing or exporting centres must not be used to imply origin. See how far testing can go on this page, the origin determination guide and the overview of recorded localities.
Causes of colour and optical effects
Cr3+ is the trace element primarily responsible for pink colour in corundum, colouring it by replacing Al3+ ions in the lattice.
Evidence grade AScope: A general rule for Cr3+ colouring in corundum, covering pink sapphire and ruby.
Pink sapphire UV-Vis-NIR spectra show evident Cr3+ features (Y band ~410 nm, U band ~560 nm, R-line ~694 nm), and the U and Y band heights are positively associated with chromium content.
Evidence grade AScope: Based on measured Muling samples (R5 and R41 with 197 ppma and 473 ppma Cr respectively).
How it is identified
Pink sapphire's hue can overlap with ruby-red or with other pink gems; colour alone does not establish identity or source. Laboratories combine several lines of evidence: magnification of inclusions and growth features; routine tests such as refractive index, specific gravity and polariscope behaviour; ultraviolet fluorescence; and spectroscopy (for example FTIR, UV-Vis-NIR and Raman). Trace-element chemistry measured by EDXRF or LA-ICP-MS helps separate natural from synthetic corundum and, compared with a reference collection, may point to a geographic origin; glass-filled fractures and coatings are caught by clues such as anomalous luster, gas bubbles, X-ray radiography, and FTIR or EDXRF signatures. Origin calls can remain inconclusive, so the finding should be issued by a qualified gem laboratory.
Evidence grade AScope: Applies where natural, synthetic and treated corundum, and geographic origin, must be assessed; no self-administered criteria are given.
Sources G&G Summer 1998 · G&G Winter 2019 · G&G Fall 2019 +2
- Separating Natural and Synthetic Rubies on the Basis of Trace-Element Chemistry (Gems & Gemology, Summer 1998, Vol. 34, No. 2)
- Geographic Origin Determination of Ruby (Gems & Gemology, Winter 2019, Vol. 55, No. 4)
- Cobalt-Coated Sapphire (Lab Notes, Gems & Gemology, Fall 2019, Vol. 55, No. 3)
- Translucent Ruby Filled with Zinc Glass (Lab Notes, Gems & Gemology, Fall 2023, Vol. 59, No. 3)
- Bismuth Glass-Filled Burmese Star Ruby (Lab Notes, Gems & Gemology, Spring 2020, Vol. 56, No. 1)
Pink sapphire may be priced on locality, with goods traded under names such as Sri Lanka, Madagascar or Burma. A locality name, however, is only a trade attribution and is not a determined origin. Origin work is a laboratory exercise: the deposit type is addressed first, then inclusion suites and trace-element suites (measured by methods such as laser ablation ICP-MS) are compared with reference databases for known localities to yield a conclusion of consistency or inconsistency with a source. Because the characteristic ranges of different localities overlap and vary within a single deposit, the conclusion is probabilistic and may be only inconclusive; heating, filling and diffusion alter the measurable features and must be excluded first. Origin cannot be inferred from appearance or name; an origin conclusion must be issued by a qualified laboratory for a specific specimen. This entry offers no self-test criteria or thresholds.
Evidence grade AScope: Origin cannot be inferred from appearance or name; an origin conclusion must be issued by a qualified laboratory for a specific specimen, and this entry provides no self-test criteria or thresholds.
Sources G&G Winter 2019 · G&G Summer 1998 · G&G Spring 2015 +1
- Geographic Origin Determination of Ruby (Gems & Gemology, Winter 2019, Vol. 55, No. 4)
- Separating Natural and Synthetic Rubies on the Basis of Trace-Element Chemistry (Gems & Gemology, Summer 1998, Vol. 34, No. 2)
- Mozambique Ruby Discovery: A 21st Century Rush (Gems & Gemology, Spring 2015, Vol. 51, No. 1)
- Sapphire Beneath the Rich Black Soil of Muling, Northeastern China (Gems & Gemology, Fall 2022, Vol. 58, No. 3)
Other research findings
Pink sapphire is a colour-named “fancy sapphire”, not an independent mineral species or a genetic type.
Evidence grade AScope: A gemological naming convention; genetically, pink corundum may be associated with ruby.
In provenance studies, pink, orangy pink, purple and purplish red sapphires are grouped into the same Cr3+-dominated “red group”.
Evidence grade BScope: A sample-grouping method from the Muling study, not a universal gemological classification.
Limits of this research
- Research status: Only partial material-specific findings found; gaps are stated as gaps
- The cited sources give no absolute timescale for pink sapphire formation.
- The spectral and grouping evidence comes from samples of the single Muling locality and should be generalised to other localities with caution.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Pink Sapphire
IMA Mineral List 2026-07 “Corundum” · CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.1.179 “Pink sapphire”
Construction or treatment status
Natural; common industry optimization (verify with certificate)
Treatments recorded for this material: Heated / Heat-treated (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Diffusion-treated (via parent material), Irradiated (via parent material)
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
Pink Sapphire is Pink corundum gem variety; use "Pink Sapphire" for listings, and disclose any known treatments.
Evidence
- CIBJO · 7.2.1.179
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Pink Sapphire" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Care and wear
The item-by-item care advice that the GIA Care and Cleaning Guide gives for the whole class, and so for Pink Sapphire, is set out in full under care on the Sapphire entry.
Care
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Durability and wearing
Toughness
Excellent
Sources GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide)
Daily wear
Pink sapphire is corundum at Mohs 9 with excellent toughness and no cleavage, a great choice for daily wear; the main risks come from treatments — filled/dyed stones are harmed by even mild acids like lemon juice, and shallow lattice-diffused colour can be removed by surface damage or re-cutting.
Care
Warm soapy water is always safe; ultrasonic and steam cleaning are usually safe for untreated, heat-treated and lattice-diffusion treated sapphire; fracture-filled, cavity-filled or dyed material should be cleaned only with a damp cloth; boric acid powder will etch the surface of even untreated stones.
Sources GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide)
Scope: This field describes general material properties and does not constitute a durability or safety warranty for any specific finished product; the durability of treated (filling/dyeing/coating) or assembled pieces must be assessed separately.
Treatments and identification leads
One row per treatment, with three standards side by side: how often it occurs and how stable it is (CIBJO), its category in GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (this site's paraphrase) and how the JJA/AGL 2025 table lists it. Each CIBJO value links to its entry under “Testing and market”, where the wording and source are given in full.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Treatment | Market frequency (CIBJO) | Stability (CIBJO) | GB/T 16552 category | JJA/AGL listing | Identification leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heating | — | — | Optimization | — | — |
| Dyeing | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
| Filling | — | — | Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1 | — | — |
| Diffusion | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
| Irradiation | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
“—” means the cited source gives no value for that item, not “none”. Source: GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (row for Sapphire)
Whether a treatment has to show in the name differs between the two rule sets (this site’s paraphrase):
- GB/T 16552—2017: a method classed as treatment has to be stated in the name itself — the method put before the name, or added in brackets after it; a method classed as optimization does not need to appear in the name, though one marked “Optimization (annotation required)” still has to be noted in the quality documents. Source: §5.4.2.1 a), b); §5.4.2.2 a)
- CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022: no longer splits treatments into ones that need specific disclosure and ones that need only general disclosure: every treatment is to be disclosed, and the seller tells the buyer which treatment was used and what special care it calls for. Source: §4.2.5 Note 2, §4.2.5.1, pp.14–15
What this table covers
What this page can give
- Registered treatments, their stability and how often they occur (see the table above)
- Identification leads for each treatment, for use when sending a stone for testing
How lab reports word it
Report wording for Pink Sapphire is set out under report wording on the Corundum entry.
A general LMHC wording rule also covers Pink Sapphire (Information Sheet #16): see the LMHC rule “Colour stability testing”.
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Recommended listing nameThe suggested listing name for Pink Sapphire is Pink Sapphire; the GB/T naming counterpart is sapphire, and the name Pink Sapphire itself is not listed in the standard, based on GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.1. Names in four languagesNames are registered in four languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Pink Sapphire) and Japanese; a Japanese name is shown as the GSJ (Japan) formal name, but the wording used by the GSJ for it is not yet verified by this site, and what is shown is the entry's own Japanese name. Trade and mineralogical namesThe mineralogical name is a pink gem variety of corundum. Institution usageOn authority wording, CIBJO records Pink Sapphire (CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024); the FTC text on file has no wording for Pink Sapphire (checked); GIA and Gem-A are unchecked. Bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, which does not represent the position of those bodies.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- ピンクサファイア (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- GB/T naming counterpart (this name is not in the standard)
- 蓝宝石 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.1)
- Mineralogical name
- Pink corundum gem variety
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 粉色蓝宝石
- 繁體中文
- 粉色藍寶石
- English
- Pink Sapphire
- 日本語
- ピンクサファイア
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Browsing family
- Oxide minerals
- Identity tier
- Mineral / gemstone variety
- Mineral chemical class
- Oxides / hydroxides
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural; common industry optimization (verify with certificate)
Treatments listed by standards
The treatment classification for Pink Sapphire under GB/T 16552—2017, Annex B, Table B.1 is this site's application of the table's “Sapphire” row; the standard itself does not list Pink Sapphire separately. The “Sapphire” row of Table B.1 lists heating as an optimization, and dyeing, diffusion and irradiation as treatments; filling is not placed directly under optimization or treatment but is graded, and how it is graded is explained on this site's Gem treatments page. What Table B.1 is is also explained on the Gem treatments page, and the full row, with the effect column, is on the Sapphire entry.
GB/T 16552-2017, Annex B, Table B.1
Under the “Sapphire” row of Table B.1: Heating Optimization; Dyeing Treatment; Filling Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1; Diffusion Treatment; Irradiation Treatment. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Sapphire page.
What Table B.1 is, and how the “see 5.4.1” grades are defined: see the GB/T 16552: optimization vs treatment page.
What it is and how it's identified
The composition (phase) of Pink Sapphire is corundum, from CIBJO's definition of Pink sapphire. Structure, hardness, cleavage, density, optic character, refractive index, birefringence and lustre are registered from the cited clauses for sapphire as a whole (regardless of colour and origin), not measured on Pink Sapphire itself: crystalline, trigonal, with a hexagonal prismatic or barrel-shaped habit, occasionally tabular or bladed; Mohs hardness 9; no cleavage, though well-twinned stones may show parting in three directions; density 3.95–4.1 g/cm³, worked out from the clause value 4.00 and tolerance of +0.10, −0.05; optic character anisotropic, uniaxial, optically negative; refractive index 1.757–1.779, worked out from the clause value 1.762–1.770 and tolerance of +0.009, −0.005; birefringence 0.008–0.01; untreated, lustre vitreous to subadamantine. Untreated Pink Sapphire has strong pleochroism, in pink and pinkish red; “strong” is taken from the overall statement in the pleochroism field, and the breakdown is what the original gives for pink.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Chemical composition, luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum, magnification: these whole-class features are given in the cited clause for sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins), so they are not repeated on the Pink Sapphire page; see the material facts on the Sapphire entry.
Items below that name the class they cover give the cited clause’s value for that whole class, not a measurement of Pink Sapphire (how to read class-level values).
Definition
Pink Sapphire — composition (phase): corundum
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Structure
Pink Sapphire — structure (overall): crystalline
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — structure (crystal system): trigonal
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — structure (crystal habit): hexagonal prisms or barrel shapes, occasionally tabular or bladed.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Durability
Pink Sapphire — Mohs hardness: 9
GB/T 16553—2017
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — cleavage: no cleavage; stones with well-developed twinning may show parting in three directions.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Physical properties
Pink Sapphire — density: 3.95–4.1 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 4.00, with a stated tolerance of +0.10 / -0.05. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Optical
Pink Sapphire — optic character: uniaxial, optically negative (anisotropic)
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — refractive index: 1.757–1.779
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 1.762–1.770, with a stated tolerance of +0.009 / -0.005. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — birefringence: 0.008–0.01
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — pleochroism: strong; pink, pinkish red
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
"Strong" comes from the field's general statement (strong, varying with colour); what follows is the value the clause gives for this colour.
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 Pleochroism · Pink (locator checked 2026-09-28)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — pleochroism: strong, and varying with color: blue shows blue and green-blue; green shows green and yellow-green; yellow shows yellow and orange-yellow; orange shows orange and orange-red; pink shows pink and pink-red; purple shows purple and purple-red.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — fluorescence (overall): long wave strong, orange-red; short wave weak, orange-red.
GB/T 16553—2017
UV fluorescenceorange-redstrongorange-redweakDots are illustrative colours built from the colour names, not measured values
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 Fluorescence (locator checked 2026-09-28)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — spectrum (UV-visible): pink, violet and colour-change sapphire: shows the absorption bands of ruby and of blue sapphire.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 UV-visible spectrum (locator checked 2026-09-28)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — optical effect (asterism): seen; commonly a six-rayed star
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — optical effect (colour change): seen
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Pink Sapphire — body colour: Pink to purplish pink.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Qualification
In chapter 7 of the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book, the colour descriptions of Kunzite, Morganite, Purple Sapphire and other entries also name pink or a pinkish colour.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
- CIBJO definitions
- asterism, colour change
Quality factors
Pink Sapphire — quality factor (lustre): vitreous to subadamantine
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- sapphire as a whole (all colours and origins)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.3 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.768 / 4.03; Closest values: 1Rhodolite 1.755 / 3.9, 2Almandine 1.79 / 3.9, 3Grossular 1.745 / 3.9, 4Tsavorite 1.74 / 3.9, 5Spessartine 1.802 / 3.9
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Testing and market
The CIBJO laboratory protocol covers Pink Sapphire under “Sapphire” (§6.1.69): see identification on the Sapphire entry; the required tests are listed on the CIBJO laboratory protocol table for Sapphire.
How far testing can go
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Clause-level definitions
Pink Sapphire has a direct clause-level definition in the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024, under the term Pink sapphire, defined as a pink to purplish pink variety of corundum. The cross-check result is that it is defined directly by CIBJO, and no identically named English entry was found in this edition of the GB/T annex.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pink sapphire | 7.2.1.179 | Pink to purplish pink variety of corundum | Defined directly by CIBJO; no identically named English entry was found in this edition of the GB/T annex. |
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. Gemmological Laboratories Book (Blue Book), Gemmological Commission 2024-1.
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. The Gemstone Book (Blue Book), 2022.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- RRUFF Project, in partnership with the IMA – International Mineralogical Association. IMA Mineral List.
- Geological Survey of Japan, AIST (Japan). Museum mineral specimens, browse by classification.
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
Related-entry tree for Corundum on this site: 18 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Pink Sapphire) is marked.
- Corundum
Sub-entries (13)
- Colour-change Sapphire
- Green Sapphire
- Orange Sapphire
- Padparadscha Sapphire
- Pink Sapphire
- Purple Sapphire
- Ruby
Sub-entries (2)
- Lead-Glass-Filled Ruby
- Synthetic Ruby (Synthetic product)
- Sapphire
Sub-entries (2)
- Beryllium-Diffused Sapphire
- Synthetic Sapphire (Synthetic product)
- Star Ruby
- Star Sapphire
- Synthetic Corundum (Synthetic product)
- White Sapphire
- Yellow Sapphire
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Oxide minerals | Live |
| Treatments recorded for this material | Heated / Heat-treated (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Diffusion-treated (via parent material), Irradiated (via parent material) | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Pink Sapphire entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original; clause-level definitions also carry a cross-check result. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.