Why Do Certain Types Of Gemstones Come In So Many Colors?
The white light we see is a combination of colors using a prism can break those up and allow the viewer to see all of them. So what causes gemstones to have colors? There are a variety of sources of color in gemstones, but there are three main causes self coloration, impurities, and color centers. The first group consists of the gems colored by the elements that make up the gem itself. Turquoise is a good example of this. Turquoise contains the element copper, which is colored blue in this case. That blue gives turquoise its inherent color.Other gemstones contain trace amounts of impurities, which give them color. A good example of this is the Ruby. It is colored red by trace amounts of the element chromium. This small amount of impurity gives the stone its color. The well-known blue sapphire is colored by the presence of the elements titanium and iron. In this particular case, both of them are required to give the sapphire its blue color. If no impurities are present in a sapphire gem
