Bismuth Vs. Sapphire

Bismuth is a popular mineral composed of bismuth.^[1] Sapphire is a very popular gemstone and its chemical composition is silicon dioxide.^[2]

Quick Facts on Differences of Bismuth and Sapphire

For a quick recap of the differences bismuth and sapphire:

• While both bismuth and sapphire is opaque, sapphire can be translucent or transparent.
• While both bismuth and sapphire is hexagonal, in terms of crystallography, sapphire can be trigonal.
• For chemical formulas, bismuth is Bi while sapphire is Al2O3.
• In terms of luster, bismuth is metallic while sapphire can be adamantine or vitreous.
• Bismuth streaks silver-white while sapphire streaks colorless.
• Bismuth can be commonly gray while sapphire can be commonly blue or green.
• Bismuth's rarity is less rare than sapphire.
• Bismuth's specific gravity is higher than sapphire - bismuth ranges from 9.7 to 9.8 and sapphire ranges from 3.99 to 4.

Summary of Bismuth

Bismuth is a chemical element with the symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a dense, silvery-white metal with a pinkish tint. Bismuth is a brittle metal and is easily crushed into a powder. It is a post-transition metal, meaning it is located in the lower right-hand corner of the periodic table. Bismuth is commonly found in nature as a sulfide or oxide mineral.

Summary of Sapphire

Sapphire is a precious mineral that belongs to the corundum family. It is a variety of aluminum oxide that is distinguished by its blue color, although it can also be found in other colors such as pink, yellow, green, and purple. Sapphire is one of the hardest minerals in the world, with a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, making it an ideal material for use in jewelry and industrial applications.

Table Comparison of Bismuth vs Sapphire