The State gem

The State gem for Queensland is the sapphire. This was formalised in August 1985.

The Sapphire gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, was discovered in central Queensland in the early 1870s.

As found in nature, a typical corundum is very dark coloured. With tinges of blue, green or brown, it is very nearly opaque. However, the transparent gem varieties show a wide range of colours.

The name Sapphire was traditionally used for clear, blue corundum stones. Nowadays, except for the pink varieties which are called ruby, it is common to refer to stones of all colours as sapphires.

The pink to red colour of ruby stems from its chromium content, whereas the sapphire's blue results from its titanium content. Yellow and green sapphires contain variable amounts of ferrous and ferric iron.

The hardness of the Sapphire is second only to that of the diamond.

Related links

Emblems of Queensland Act 2005