Sapphire

	What is it and where is it formed? Sapphires are a gemstone and the birthstone for September. They are formed in igneous and metamorphic rocks.
	How and where is it mined? Sapphires are mined using surface mining like placer mining. They are mined in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia, and in the U.S.
	What is it used for? Sapphires are used for jewelry and for gem collections.

Blue sapphires are worth
the most money.

Mineral Characteristic	What the mineralogists say	Kid's Guide: What it REALLY means!
Chemical Symbol	Al₂O₃	It has aluminum and oxygen in it.
Color	Blue, yellow, purple, pink, and more	The only color that they won’t be is red because then they’d be a ruby.
Streak	White	If you crush a ruby you will get a fine white dust.
Transparency	Transparent	You can see through the stone easily.
Luster	Vitreous	It will look glassy if you shine a light on it.
Cleavage	None	When you break it, it doesn’t split into a pattern that can be repeated.
Fracture	Uneven	When the stone is broken, it doesn’t break into pieces that are alike.
Magnetism	None	It will not attract, or be attracted to, a magnet.
Hardness	9	It is the next hardest mineral to a diamond. It is very hard.
Specific gravity	4	It is a heavy mineral.
Crystal Shape	Trigonal

Sapphires are blue because they have iron and titanium
in them.

Links:

	Wikipedia: Sapphire
	Sapphire: the non-red variety of corundum
	Coolamon Mining

Citations:

Pellant, Chris. Rocks and Minerals. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1992.

“Sapphire.” Raintree Illustrated Science Encyclopedia. 1991 ed.

“Sapphire.” World Book Encyclopedia. 2000 ed.

"Sapphire." The gemstone Sapphire. 21 Oct. 2005 <http://www.minerals.net/gemstone/gemstone/sapphire/sapphire.htm> [This link worked at research time].