A laser-based technique that measures not just what light a mineral emits, but how long that glow takes to fade, has found corundum — the crystalline aluminum oxide that makes rubies and sapphires — ...

Mother Nature simply doesn’t create enough fine gem-quality ruby or sapphire to satisfy the demands of consumers. Actually, the problem has been around for centuries, and necessity being the mother of ...

The Perseverance rover has found precious stones inside Martian pebbles. These gem grains are made of a substance called corundum, which is also known as ruby or sapphire depending on the traces of ...

Corundum, the crystalline form of aluminium oxide, is the host mineral for the gem varieties ruby and sapphire. Characterization of corundum deposits involves geological classification, mineralogical ...

A 'selfie' taken by the Curiosity rover taken on the Martian surface. Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSS Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSS For decades, Mars has surprised scientists with evidence of ...