The name sapphire alone can be given only to the blue variety of corundums, ranging from deep indigo to pastel blue. Those in the other shades it may take on are referred to as sapphires, immediately preceded by the adjective of the corresponding colour. A red sapphire is called a ruby, although the differentiation is a source of contention in cases of shades such as purple and pink). An orange sapphire is called padparadscha (meaning Lotus flower in Singhalese). The sapphire belonging to the corundum family is the hardest metal, just after diamonds The world’s major sapphire producers are in Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka. From time immemorial, sapphire has made its mark on human memory: A Persian legend states that the world rests on a giant sapphire which reflects its colour on the sky In Hebrew, the word sapphire means “the most beautiful thing” and symbolises the heavens.