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)
Purple Sapphire
A purple to violet gem variety of Corundum; both the cause of its colour and any 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 Purple 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 Purple SapphireIdentification points from the research literature; how far lab testing can go
- Treatments and enhancements of Purple SapphireThe enhancements and treatments the GB/T and JJA/AGL tables list
- Caring for and wearing Purple SapphireCleaning, heat, chemicals and light, as the cited sources give them; durability indicators and wearing advice
- Hardness, density and refractive index of Purple SapphireEach value with its source and check date
- Purple 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 Purple SapphireThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define Purple 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
Purple sapphire is not an independent mineral species but a colour variety of corundum. Among the six major chromophores recognised in corundum, vanadium (V3+) is listed as the chromophore giving green and purple; high-vanadium Mogok corundum from Myanmar reaches about 2000 ppma, showing “slate” (grayish blue to gray-blue) to purple hues and sometimes colour change. Purple can also result from several chromophores together, e.g. a purple sapphire containing both Fe2+-Ti⁴⁺ pairs and Cr3+. In provenance studies purple is often grouped with pink and purplish red in the Cr3+-dominated “red group”.
Scope: Applies to the colour explanation of the natural purple/violet corundum gem variety, covering two mechanisms: V3+ and the superposition of multiple colour centres; does not apply to synthetic or treated corundum.
Sources G&G Spring 2020 · G&G Fall 2022
Where it forms
The same natural corundum-forming settings as other sapphires; high-vanadium purple sapphire occurs in localities such as Mogok, Myanmar, and some purple samples show metamorphic or metasomatic chemical fingerprints in provenance studies.
Sources G&G Spring 2020 · G&G Fall 2022
How it forms, step by step
Corundum crystallises in its host environment and trace V3+ (and Fe2+, Ti4+, Cr3+ etc.) enters the lattice.
V3+ on its own can give green to purple; in samples also containing Fe2+-Ti⁴⁺ pairs, its E⊥c and E||c colours differ markedly (grayish blue vs. green).
When several chromophores coexist (e.g. V3+, or Fe2+-Ti⁴⁺ together with Cr3+), the sum of their absorptions determines whether the stone appears purple or violet.
Link to appearance
V3+ is the green-to-purple chromophore in corundum, grayish blue in the E⊥c direction and green in the E||c direction, so cut orientation affects the resulting hue; in multi-chromophore samples purple can also arise from combining a blue (Fe2+-Ti⁴⁺) with a pink (Cr3+) component.
Sources G&G Spring 2020
Timescale
The cited sources give no absolute timescale for purple 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
- Ilakaka, MadagascarEnormous quantities of violet to purple sapphire reported (as of 2000)
Sources Gems & Gemology Winter 2000
Asia
- Batakundi area, Kaghan Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PakistanReportedly mined; samples purplish pink to purple
Sources GIA Laboratory Bangkok report
- Bo Welu gem deposit, Chanthaburi Province, ThailandBasalt-related alluvial deposit; purple sapphire among studied material
- Muling, Heilongjiang, ChinaPurple 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
Among the major chromophores in corundum, V3+ is listed as the one producing green and purple.
Evidence grade AScope: A single-chromophore colour list; real gems usually contain several chromophores.
A purple sapphire can contain Fe2+-Ti⁴⁺ pairs together with Cr3+; the absorption cross section of Cr3+ is unchanged by the other chromophores.
Evidence grade AScope: An illustration of multi-chromophore superposition; it does not quantify the chromophore ratio for purple-violet.
High-vanadium Mogok corundum (up to about 2000 ppma V) can show “slate” (grayish blue to gray-blue) to purple colours and sometimes colour change.
Evidence grade BScope: A citation of reported literature, specific to extreme Mogok V contents, not typical vanadium levels.
How it is identified
A purple sapphire's hue can overlap with other violet stones; colour alone does not settle 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)
Purple sapphire may be priced on locality, with goods traded under names such as Sri Lanka, Madagascar or Tanzania. 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
In provenance studies, purple sapphire is grouped with pink and purplish red into the Cr3+-dominated “red group”.
Evidence grade BScope: A sample-grouping method from the Muling study, which does not contradict a V3+ origin for purple.
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 purple sapphire formation.
- Purple may arise from V3+ or from Cr3+/Fe²⁺-Ti⁴⁺ combinations, and the cited sources give no quantitative criterion to distinguish them.
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
- Purple Sapphire
IMA Mineral List 2026-07 “Corundum” · CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.1.185 “Purple 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
Purple Sapphire is Purple to violet corundum gem variety; use "Purple Sapphire" for listings, and disclose any known treatments.
Evidence
- CIBJO · 7.2.1.185
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Purple 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 Purple 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
Purple 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 Purple Sapphire is set out under report wording on the Corundum entry.
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Chinese standard nameThe GB/T naming counterpart of Purple Sapphire is sapphire (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.1); this name itself is not listed in the standard; the mineralogical name is a purple to violet corundum gem variety. Names in four languagesNames are given in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Purple Sapphire) and Japanese; the GSJ (Japan) wording for Purple Sapphire is not yet verified by this site, and the Japanese name shown is the entry's own. Institution usageOn authority wording, this site records only CIBJO's Purple Sapphire (CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024); there is no wording for Purple Sapphire in the FTC text on file (checked); GIA and Gem-A are unchecked. Bodies without a recorded wording show the English name of Purple Sapphire itself, which does not represent their position. Recommended listing nameThe suggested listing name is Purple Sapphire.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- パープルサファイア (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
- Purple to violet corundum gem variety
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 紫色蓝宝石
- 繁體中文
- 紫色藍寶石
- English
- Purple Sapphire
- 日本語
- パープルサファイア
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 classes for Purple Sapphire in GB/T 16552—2017 Annex B, Table B.1 are applied by this site from the “Sapphire” row: heating is listed as optimization; dyeing as treatment; filling needs to be defined by grades, as set out on this site's Gem treatments page; diffusion is listed as treatment; and irradiation as treatment. What each item in Table B.1 notes and how the filling grades are defined are explained on this site's Gem treatments page, and the full row including 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
Purple Sapphire is composed of corundum (phase). Recorded under the clause for sapphire as a whole (regardless of colour and origin): crystalline, trigonal; Mohs hardness 9; no cleavage, though stones with well-developed twinning may show parting in three directions; density 3.95–4.1 g/cm³, derived from the cited clause value 4.00 with tolerance +0.10/−0.05; optic character anisotropic, uniaxial, negative; refractive index 1.757–1.779, derived from the cited clause value 1.762–1.770 with tolerance +0.009/−0.005; birefringence 0.008–0.01. Under the same clause for sapphire as a whole, lustre when untreated is vitreous to subadamantine; optical effects include asterism, commonly a six-rayed star, and colour change; pleochroism when untreated is strong, purple and purplish red, “strong” being taken from the general statement on pleochroism and purple and purplish red being the original's specific entries for purple stones.
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 Purple 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 Purple Sapphire (how to read class-level values).
Definition
Purple Sapphire — composition (phase): corundum
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Structure
Purple 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
Purple 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
Purple 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
Purple 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
Purple 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
Purple 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
Purple 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
Purple 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
Purple 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
Purple 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
Purple Sapphire — pleochroism: strong; violet, reddish violet
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 · Purple (locator checked 2026-09-28)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Purple Sapphire — fluorescence (overall): violet and colour-change: long wave none to strong, red; short wave none to weak, red.
GB/T 16553—2017
UV fluorescencerednone–strong, violet and colour-changerednone–weak, violet and colour-changeDots 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
Purple 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
Purple 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
Purple 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
Purple Sapphire — body colour: Pinkish purple to bluish purple.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Qualification
In chapter 7 of the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book, the colour descriptions of Kunzite, Sugilite, Pink Sapphire and other entries also name purple or a purplish 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
Purple 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 Purple 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
Purple Sapphire is defined directly in the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 under the entry name Purple sapphire, as a pinkish purple to bluish purple variety of corundum. Cross-check result: defined directly by CIBJO; the same English name was not found directly in the GB/T annex.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purple sapphire | 7.2.1.185 | Pinkish purple to bluish purple 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 (Purple 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 Purple 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.