The name sapphire (Greek-blue) used to be applied to various stones. Coloring pigment in blue sapphire is iron and titanium; and violet stones, vanadium. A small iron content results in yellow and green tones; chrome produces pink. The most desired color is pure cornflower blue.
Sapphires have been found in Sri Lanka since antiquity. The deposits are in the south west of the island in the region of Ratnapura.
The most desired sapphires used to come from Kashmir (India), where the deposits were situated at a height of 16500ft/5000 meters in the Zaskar region, 125 miles/200 km south east of Srinagar. Most stones sold today as Kashmir sapphire come from Burma.