sapphire

Together with ruby, sapphire is the second hardest mineral in the world. Sapphire is mostly associated with the color blue, but it also comes in numerous other colors. The most popular are the blue sapphire and the pink-orange Padparadscha sapphire. In general, sapphire is one of the most sought-after and most expensive colored gemstones.

The world's largest sapphire found so far, the so-called “Star of Adam”, weighs 1,404 carats and was discovered in Sri Lanka. Its value is estimated at around 90 million euros.
Burma (Myanmar), Sri Lanka and Madagascar are currently delivering the best quality sapphires.