What are Corundums?
By Margaret Burgon Klemp In the Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary it says that corundum is “A very hard mineral that consists of aluminum oxide occurring as massive and as variously colored crystals which include the ruby and sapphire that can be synthesized, and that is used as an abrasive.” The Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th Edition, Vol. 3 has this to report about the corundum family of gems. “It is an aluminum oxide mineral that next to the diamond is the hardest known substance; its finer varieties are the gemstones sapphire and ruby. The corundum is widespread, and is found as barrel shaped crystals, large blocks or rounded grains in igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.” Where Corundums are Found Corundum is found on all continents particularly in Burma (modern day Myanmar), South Africa, Canada, The Ural Mountains in Western Russia, and the United States. The most important discoveries, however, are found in Sri Lanka. The attribute that makes them different is that all
