Mars Pebbles Reveal First Corundum Grains, Hinting at Impact-Driven Gem Formation

NASA’s Perseverance rover detected microscopic grains of corundum (the mineral behind rubies and sapphires) in rocks along the Jezero crater rim using the SuperCam laser system, marking the first confirmed corundum on Mars. The grains, under 0.2 mm, were found in Hampden River and similarly detected in Coffee Cove and Smiths Harbour, suggesting corundum is present in multiple spots. Mars’s lack of plate tectonics makes Earth-like formation unlikely, so scientists propose meteorite impacts as a plausible source of the high-temperature/pressure conditions that yield corundum. Further sampling is needed to confirm origin and formation details; findings were presented at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.