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How to Find Sapphires in Real Life

Sapphires are hard gemstones that are highly prized for use in jewelry. The blue stone is a variety of the mineral corundum, to which the ruby also belongs. A visit to a sapphire mine offers the opportunity for hands-on discovery of sapphires that are often suitable for jewelry.

Things You'll Need

Sapphire mine
Screen box
Dirt
Water sluice
Container

Instructions

- 1
  Visit a sapphire mine and purchase a bag or bucket of dirt.
- 2
  Move to the water sluice. Sit or stand beside the sluice. Place a screen box on the side of the sluice.
- 3
  Pour the equivalent of 1 cup of the purchased dirt into the screen box. Spread the dirt evenly across the screen with your hand.
- 4
  Lower the screen box into the water running through the sluice. Move the screen box back and forth to wash the dirt from the rocks on the screen.
- 5
  Pick out any sapphires. They are small- to medium-sized blue rocks, often with a smooth surface. Place your sapphires in the container.

Rocks & Minerals