What Are The Major Characteristics Of Sapphire?

I think you will get the best information by Googling it. What purpose is your sapphire going to be used for?
 
Its corundum (sp?) or aluminium oxide, comes in many colours but blue is the one most people associate with it. Red corundum is called ruby.
Use diamond to cut and polish it.
On the Mohs scale it comes in at 9, diamond is 10
Copper tools can be embeded with diamond dust to cut it.
I use diamond laps to polish saphire (not that I have done many)
 
george wilson said:
diamond is WAYYYYYY harder than sapphire
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From my Geology/mineralogy course in the middle of the last century, Sapphire is 9 on the Mohs scale, Diamond 10, but in reality, since there is nothing between Sapphire and Diamond, on the same scale, Diamond should be 42. It's WAYYYYY harder than Sapphire.
 
I think it's used in some dial indicator and CMM tips, but Ruby being more common and probably much cheaper. Could also be used in micro ball bearings, such as the ones used in Jeweled indicator movements.
 
It makes a good radome for IR guided missiles. Very expensive. One of the few materials that can withstand rain impact at the speeds that they travel.
 
Makes a great crystal for a wrist watch. For 20 years of my life, my last employer gave us a Rolex. Have to say they're tough, the synthetic sapphire crystal seams impact proof, (I haven't cracked it), totally scratch proof and weld spatter doesn't stick. A normal watch would last maybe 6 months, after that the face was obscured with scratches and weld spatter, the Rolex lasted for years. Mind weld spatter sticks and craters the gold plating and stainless. Haven't wore a watch in years so now it sits in a drawer collecting dust.

Greg
 
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