Pink sapphire is a gem-quality variety of corundum colored by trace amounts of chromium. It occurs as hexagonal prisms or barrel-shaped crystals and is highly prized for its exceptional hardness and vibrant, saturated pink hues.
Is this pink sapphire?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch pink sapphire with a known reference. Pink Sapphire sits at Mohs 9 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Pink Sapphire leaves a none streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Pink Sapphire typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pink.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: prismatic crystals, hexagonal barrels.
Often confused with
Pink Sapphire vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Pink Sapphire is noticeably harder (Mohs 9 vs. 7-7.5); streak differs — Pink Sapphire leaves none, Tourmaline leaves white.
How to tell apart: Pink Sapphire is noticeably harder (Mohs 9 vs. 7.5-8); streak differs — Pink Sapphire leaves none, Pink Beryl leaves white.
How to tell apart: Pink Sapphire is noticeably harder (Mohs 9 vs. 8); streak differs — Pink Sapphire leaves none, Topaz leaves white.
Often found alongside pink sapphire
Minerals reported to co-occur with pink sapphire. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Al₂O₃
- Mohs hardness
- 9
- Density
- 3.98-4.1 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- None
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic Crystals, Hexagonal Barrels
- Cleavage
- None
- Fluorescence
- Red to Orange Under LW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Gemstone, Collector
- Host rock
- Metamorphic Marbles, Pegmatites, And Alluvial Deposits
- Typical price
- $200-5000+ per carat depending on saturation and clarity
Where rockhounds find pink sapphire
3 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Sri Lanka
- Madagascar
- Myanmar
- Tanzania
- Vietnam
Field-hunting tip
Look in metamorphic marbles, pegmatites, and alluvial deposits country — that is the host setting where pink sapphire typically forms. If you start seeing zircon, spinel, kyanite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic crystals, hexagonal barrels habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in North Carolina, Georgia — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find pink sapphire on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
