In ancient times, the world “sapphire” was used to refer to all blue stones, and until the Middle Ages “sapphire” referred primarily to lapis lazuli. Since the seventh century B.C., sapphire has been used in jewelry it was a favoriteSapphire and ruby are the Ages in Greece, Egypt, and Rome, and during the Middle

Sri Lankan rubies are light incolor. Though generally lower in value than those from Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lankan sapphires are extremely important. Sapphire and ruby are often mined from the same deposits, but the ration differs greatly from one source to another. In Sri Lanka, sapphires far outnumber rubies.

gemstone of many European monarchs.  Marco Polo, who visited Sri Lanka in the 13th century, highly praised both sapphire and ruby in his writings.samemineral, corundum (hardness of 9 in Moh's scale), but whereas ruby is colored red by chromium impurities, the blue color in sapphire is caused by iron and titanium impurities. Corundum of any color other than red is called sapphire, but the word “sapphire” by itself usually refers to blue mineral, with stones of other colors called “fancy-colored sapphires.” Fancy-colored sapphires occur in colors such as yellow, green, and orange, to name a few. The different colors are caused by various chemical impurities or differences in crystal structure. Sri Lankan sapphires are often heat treated in Thailand to enhance their blue color, resulting in a characteristic very slightly purplish blue.