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With a name derived from the Greek for “red”, ruby’s technical definition as the red variety of the mineral corundum was really chosen reasonably just recently. As an outcome, contemporary gemology has considering that re-classified some of history’s most popular “rubies” as red spinels.

Very first discovered around 500 AD, northern Burma’s Mogok deposits continue to produce the world’s finest “pigeon blood” material. When Myanmar temporarily cut itself off from the rest of the world during the 1960s and 1970s, the eastern Thai city of Chanthaburi ended up being the world’s only practical ruby source. As the deposit’s excessively dark stones required heat-based treatments to make them salable, this represented the dawn these days’ modern gemstone enhancement market.

While remarkable ruby regions have actually because been found in eastern Africa, especially within Mozambique, another legacy of this duration stays with Chanthaburi’s ongoing status as the world’s foremost gemstone enhancement, cutting and trading hub.

Meaning of Ruby

The name ruby comes from the Latin word ruber, which indicates red. It is preferred gem among those in power and those in love, motivating more feeling than nearly any other stone.

The intense and captivating Ruby is a stone of nobility, considered the most stunning of all gems, the queen of stones and the stone of kings. Ancients believed it surpassed all other jewels in virtue, and its worth went beyond even that of the Diamond. The Chinese Emperor Kublai Khan was said to have offered a whole city in exchange for a sizable Ruby.

Ruby is a gemstone has the meaning and properties of an energy boost, making individuals feel positive and increasing self-confidence.

The burning red color makes people think about effective vigour.

What does ruby symbolize?

Numerous cultures have long thought about ruby a stone of kings. Not remarkably, ruby significance and lore have numerous associations with power, wealth, and protection.

When used as a talisman, ruby’s mystical homes encompassed personal defence. People believed using the stone on the left, the heart side would allow the bearers to live in harmony. None might take their land or rank. The blood-colored stone would preserve them from all dangers, even their homes from storms.

Ruby’s blood-like color no doubt motivated strong associations with this life-sustaining fluid. The ancient Burmese treasured the ruby as the stone of soldiers. Just those who had rubies physically inserted into their flesh would get this advantage.

Other sources claim rubies and other red stones can treat bleeding and inflammation along with boosting the body’s warmth.

The ruby signifies immortality and fire, much in the very same way that the Phoenix does. Royalty is often seen with jewelry made from rubies.

It typically is seen as talismans of passion, strength.

Metaphysically, the ruby is the gems that represent the Basa Chakra.

Birthstone – Ruby

Ruby, arguably the most popular of red colored stones, is the birthstone for July. Representing health and knowledge this gem comes from the ‘corundum’ mineral species. Hardest of natural gems aside from diamond, it is long lasting enough for everyday wear and matches any trendy attire with it’s vivid and deep red color.

How is ruby formed?

Rubies are made from the mineral corundum or aluminium oxide. When rubies are dealt with to extreme heat and pressure, they are formed under the earth’s surface area. Corundum is made of densely packed oxygen and aluminium atoms. Generally, this results in a colorless compound. When some of the aluminium atoms are changed by other minerals or compounds, the stone can take on other colors. This is how the ruby is formed and gets its deep red shade. Specifically, the existence of chromium creates a deep red color. Unusual orange and pink tones of ruby are produced by the existence of chromium and ferric iron. The ruby forms a deep red color if 1% of the aluminium atoms are changed by chromium atoms. Learn more about ruby color.
The presence of silica or iron prevents the formation of ruby. Considering that this is both extremely frequently present in the earth’s crust, rubies are unusual to find. To contribute to that, corundum is likewise a rare mineral.

Ruby characteristics

  • Hardness: 9
  • Transparency of ruby: Transparent, translucent
  • Chemical composition of ruby: aluminium oxide with chromium, Al2O3:Cr
  • Crystal system: trigonal
  • Crystal habit: Terminated tabular hexagonal prisms
  • Tenacity: brittle
  • Physical properties of ruby
  • Specific gravity: 3.97 – 4.05
  • Refractive index: nω=1.768–1.772  nε=1.760–1.763
  • Cause of color for ruby: chromium
  • Pleochroism: strong
  • Fluorescence of ruby: red under longwave
  • Phenomena: 6 or 12-rayed star

Common inclusions in ruby

Typical ruby clearness characteristics include thin mineral inclusions called needles. When the mineral is rutile and needles exist in intersecting groups, it is called silk. Needles might be long or brief and slim, and they might appear to be woven securely together.

Ruby can likewise include needles composed of other minerals, small crystals, zones of color variation, or inclusions that look like fingerprints.

Some inclusions can really contribute positively to a gem’s appearance. The presence of rutile silk causes light to spread across elements that might otherwise be too dark. This adds softness to the color and spreads out the color more equally across the ruby’s crown.

Needles that intersect can likewise cause the star effect, called asterism when the stone is cut with a curved upper surface area.

Common cutting styles of ruby

Several aspects impact the cut and proportion of rubies on the marketplace. A ruby’s crystal shape determines its suitability for specific cuts. The most common shape is a flat tabular hexagonal shape, but ruby crystals from some sources can be lengthened.

To accommodate these crystal shapes, the most typical shapes of fashioned rubies are cushions and ovals, with brilliant-cut crowns of triangular and kite-shaped facets, and step-cut pavilions with concentric rows of rectangular or square elements.

Round, triangular, emerald-cut, pear, and marquise rubies are also readily available. However, these shapes are uncommon in larger sizes and higher qualities.

Ruby rough is really expensive, so cutters try to conserve as much weight as possible. They may fashion flattened ruby rough into shallow stones, despite the fact that light gets away through flattened pavilions, triggering an unappealing see-through location in the stone called a window.

In ruby, it normally appears as red to purple-red in one crystal direction and orangy red in the other. Even so, it’s not always possible to orient a ruby for ideal color return because the potential loss of weight would be too terrific.

Treatment of ruby

In the jewelry industry, it is assumed that rubies have actually been heat treated unless otherwise defined.
The heat treatment in rubies enhances the transparency of the gem. It’s a long-term treatment, these gems are formed under significant heat and pressure in nature, so it an extension of the heating that occurs in nature. It is uncommon to find a polished ruby that has not had heat treatment. Heat treatment does not modify the makeup of the Stone.
About 10 years back, rubies with a brand-new kind of treatment understood as “Lead Glass Filling” came on to the market. Till this treatment was developed, these rubies had no commercial usage.
The value of Lead Glass Filled rubies is only a little portion (less than 1%) of those of a heat treated ruby of a similar look. It is not obligatory to state this kind of treatment, and sometimes it is concealed behind words like “enhanced ruby”. This term could consist of acceptable treatments that do not change the makeup of the ruby such as heat treatment.

Synthetic & imitations of ruby

In 1903, Verneuil announced he might produce synthetic rubies on a business scale utilizing this flame fusion procedure. By 1910, Verneuil’s lab had broadened into a 30 heating system production center, with yearly gems production having actually reached 1,000 kgs in 1907.

Other procedures in which synthetic rubies can be produced are through Czochralski’s pulling process, flux procedure, and the hydrothermal procedure. The fewer the number and the less apparent the flaws, the more valuable the ruby is; unless there are no flaws, in which case it will be suspected of being artificial.

Imitation rubies are likewise marketed. Red spinels, red garnets, and colored glass have been falsely declared to be rubies. Trade terms such as balas ruby for red spinel and rubellite for red tourmaline can mislead unwary purchasers.

Properties determining the value of ruby

Origin

Asia has historically been the significant producer of ruby gems, there are numerous other sources consisting of the United States, Australia, and most just recently Africa. Origin certainly affects the value of rubies.

Stones from Myanmar generally command the highest costs. They have the desired, near best coloring known as “pigeon blood red,” which is a very slightly purplish red with vivid saturation and dark tone. They also have extreme red fluorescence. A mining system in the Mogok region is the main source of gem-quality rubies. This fabled deposit has actually been understood for over 1,000 years. It’s house to a few of the finest rubies ever found. The color of Mogok rubies often happens in abundant spots and swirls. (Color zoning can happen sometimes). Mogok rubies hold color in essentially any lighting condition, which adds to the demand for these gem-quality stones. The shape of Mogok ruby rough usually yields well-proportioned stones. In addition to faceted stones, Mogok also produces the world’s finest star rubies.

Color
For ruby, the intensity of the red color is the main factor in determining value. The finest rubies display a color similar to that of a pigeon’s blood.

Clarity
In regards to clearness, ruby tends to be less tidy than sapphire. Buyers should search for stones which are eye-clean, i.e., with no inclusions noticeable to the unaided eye. In the case of some rubies, incredibly fine silk throughout the stone can actually enhance the worth. Numerous rubies likewise show a strong red fluorescence to daytime, and this includes measurably to the appeal of this gem.
While a certain amount of silk is essential to produce the star impact in star ruby, too much silk desaturates the color, making it appear greyish. This is not preferable.

Cut
In the market, rubies are found in a range of shapes and cutting styles. Ovals are cushions are the most typical, however, rounds are also seen, as are other shapes, such as the heart or emerald cut. Slight premiums are paid for round stones, while minor discounts request pears and marquises. Stones that are shallow or extremely deep ought to typically be avoided.
Cabochon-cut rubies are also typical. This cut is used for star stones, or those not clean enough to facet. The best cabochons are reasonably transparent, with good smooth domes and excellent balance. Avoid stones with too much excess weight below the girdle, unless they are priced accordingly.

Carat weight
Rubies become significantly scarce as the size of the stone increases. Gem-quality rubies over one carat are thought about really uncommon and most stones offered on the marketplace will be listed below that size. The worth of rubies over one carat does not scale normally and the value increases significantly.

History of ruby

Ruby is one of the most historically substantial colored stones. Rubies are discussed 4 times in the Bible, in association with qualities like charm and wisdom. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, ruby is called ratnaraj, or “king of gemstones.”

In the very first century AD, the Roman scholar Pliny included rubies in his Natural History, describing their firmness and density. Ancient Hindus thought that those who provided great rubies to the god Krishna were given renewal as emperors.

Hindus divided ruby into 4 castes, calling the real Oriental ruby a Brahmin. Somebody in belongings of a Brahmin was thought to have the advantage of ideal safety.

People in India believed that rubies enabled their owners to live in peace with their opponents. In Burma (a ruby source since at least 600 ADVERTISEMENT– now called Myanmar), warriors had rubies to make them invincible in the fight.

The name ruby originates from the Latin word ruber, which implies “red.” The radiant red of ruby suggested an inextinguishable flame burning in the stone, even shining through clothing and able to boil water.

Ruby has actually been called the most valuable of the 12 stones produced by God.

Ruby maintained its value with the birth of the western world and turned into one of the most sought-after gems of European royalty and the upper classes. Lots of medieval Europeans wore rubies to ensure health, wealth, knowledge, and success in love.

Desire for ruby is simply as excellent today as it constantly has been. As a sign of passion, ruby makes an ideal romantic present. Because it likewise signifies wealth and success, consumers are drawn to the lavish color.

Ruby is one of the most traditionally significant colored stones. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, ruby is called ratnaraj, or “king of valuable stones.”

In Myanmar, warriors had rubies to make them invincible in the fight.

When was ruby first discovered?

Where are rubies found?

The most famous source of great rubies is Burma, now called Myanmar. The ruby mines of Myanmar are older than history: stone age and bronze age mining tools have been discovered in the mining location of Mogok.
Rubies from the famous mines in Mogok often have a pure red color, which is typically described as “pigeon’s-blood” although that term is more fanciful than an actual practical requirement in the trade today.
Burma likewise produces extreme pinkish-red rubies, which are also vivid and extremely beautiful.
Much of the rubies from Burma have a strong red fluorescence when exposed to ultraviolet rays like those of sunlight, which includes on additional color.
A fairly brand-new and important mining location in Burma is Mong Hsu location. This rich ruby deposit produces business amounts of commercial quality ruby, but also significant quantities of great quality, especially in measure to a carat.
Burma ruby is now quicker available than Thai (or Siam) ruby. Many Mong Hsu ruby is cut and marketed in Thailand.

Fine rubies are likewise discovered in Thailand. They tend to have a darker red tone: a genuine red, tending toward burgundy and brown rather than towards pink, as Burma rubies do. However Thai rubies can also have a rich vibrant red that measures up to the Burmese in intensity.

Thailand is the world’s most essential ruby trading. Maybe 90 per cent of the world’s ruby goes through Thailand eventually in the trading cycle. The largest ruby cutting factories are in the Chanthaburi area of Thailand.
In 1992, a brand-new ruby mine was found in Vietnam and produces rubies which are extremely similar to rubies from Burma. A few of these Vietnamese rubies have actually been applauded by professionals as being practically identical from top-notch Burmese stones.
Just recently, a brand-new and large deposit has actually been discovered in south Madagascar in the Tulear district. This mine produces in substantial quantities a light to a medium-dark pink product. Red product has actually been found in the Fionarangsoa location.
Another source in Andilamena, North East of Antananarivo is producing orange to brown-red material, some extremely comparable to Thai rubies.
Sri Lanka stones are violetish or typically pinkish in shade and many are pastel in tone. Some, nevertheless, resemble the vivid pinkish red colors from Burma.

Because their color measures up to the world’s finest, rubies from Kenya and Tanzania shocked the world when they were discovered in the sixties. Sadly, most of the ruby production from these countries have many inclusions, tiny flaws which lessen openness.
Rubies from the African mines are seldom transparent adequate to facet. Color is shown to full benefit when cut in cabochon design or in beads. Just a few tidy stones of premium have actually been seen.

Sometimes a few fine top-notch rubies appear on the marketplace from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Pamir Mountains.

Famous rubies 

  • The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. has some of the world’s largest and finest ruby gemstones. The 23.1 carats (4.62 g) Burmese ruby, set in a platinum ring with diamonds, was donated by businessman and philanthropist Peter Buck in memory of his late wife Carmen Lúcia. This gemstone displays a richly saturated red color combined with exceptional transparency. The finely proportioned cut provides vivid red reflections. The stone was mined from the Mogok region of Burma (now Myanmar) in the 1930s.
  • In 2007 the London jeweler Garrard & Co featured on their website a heart-shaped 40.63-carat ruby.
  • On December 13/14, 2011 Elizabeth Taylor’s complete jewellery collection was auctioned by Christie’s. Several ruby-set pieces were included in the sale, notably a ring set with an 8.24 ct gem that broke the ‘price-per-carat’ record for rubies ($512,925 per carat, i.e. over $4.2 million in total), and a necklace that sold for over $3.7 million.
  • The Liberty Bell Ruby is the largest mined ruby in the world. It was stolen in a heist in 2011.
  • The Sunrise Ruby is the world’s most expensive ruby, most expensive coloured gemstone, and most expensive gemstone other than a diamond. In May 2015, it sold at auction in Switzerland to an anonymous buyer for US$30 million.
  • The Graff Ruby – A widely known cushion cut Burmese ruby with a weight of 8.62 carats. An 8.62-carat Pigeon’s Blood Burmese ruby — commonly commemorated as the most important ruby on the planet– is an as soon as in a lifetime discovery. Easily complemented by brilliant cut white diamond shoulder stones the bewitching Pigeon’s Blood shade of red is extremely striking. One of the most important ruby gems that Graff has ever created, this is a historical jewel with an exceptional tradition. In February 2006. It was purchased by a popular and credited London diamond and gemstone dealership and luxury jewelry expert Laurence Graff, referred to as the King of Diamonds. Graff paid a $3,637,480.00 at Christie’s. It was a brand-new record cost per carat of $421, 981. He had called the gemstone the “Graff Ruby”. After that, he offered the ruby to a Greek financier Dimitri Mavrommatis, but understanding his mistake, he changed his mind and bought the 8.62 carat gem for the second time in 2014. He paid 8.2 million Swiss francs ($8.6 million) for the Burmese ruby, at a Geneva auction.

Ruby jewelry

Rubies are a flexible stone that works out in any type of precious jewelry.

One factor to consider is the kind of metal to select. For a modern, elegant look, pair ruby with white gold. For a timeless, classic appearance, pick rose or yellow gold.
If you wish to add more shimmer to your ruby, you can opt for jewellery that also showcases colorless diamonds, such as halo settings. This brings an included shimmer and allure to the piece and brings out the ruby’s color much more.

Little ruby stones can go a long method when set magnificently in properly designed precious jewelry.

As more people choose colored gems in their engagement rings, ruby engagement rings have actually seen a boost in sales. These stones are symbolic (see below), durable and stunning in appearance, ticking all packages.

How to choose quality ruby?

When buying a ruby, it is best if the stone comes with a certificate that proves its authenticity and origin. This is especially true if you are paying a lot of money to buy a natural premium stone.

Make sure that you ask about all treatments the ruby has undergone and how these improvements affect the method you should wear it and look after it. Likewise, do not forget to ask whether the ruby you are purchasing is natural or artificially produced.

How do you know if it’s a real ruby?

Ruby is a very hard stone, a 9 on the Mohs scale. It is 2nd in resilience only to the diamond, meaning that just a diamond (or an object with the solidity of a diamond) can scratch it. In comparison, glass is a simple 5.5.

Scratch the surface of your ruby with a crucial or coin, and try to find any scratch marks. If there are scratch marks, then the stone is probably a fake. A genuine ruby cannot be scratched so quickly.

In this test, you are looking to see if your stone leaves color. Utilize the ruby to scratch a hard and yet smooth surface area, such as a piece of glass. If there is a streak of red color left on the surface area, then it is clear that your stone is a fake. A real ruby will never leave color in that method. The only concern with this test is that you can not make certain that the stone is real if it does not leave a trace of color. You can just be certain it isn’t real if it does.

Many rubies that are over 1/2 carat will be cut in a complicated shape, such a pear or cushion shape. Round shape in a big ruby is a clear signal that it might be a fake.

A natural ruby will have small defects within which are not visible without a microscopic lense. There will likewise be natural stains of flaw present within the stone. Due to the fact that natural rubies grow in unpredictable and unsafe conditions listed below the earth, they are susceptible to having inclusions and debris.

If your ruby is incredibly low-cost, it is most likely a fake. It is most likely a synthetic stone if it is reasonable however not overly inexpensive.

In terms of size, it is very tough to find natural rubies in plus sizes (and if you do, they are exponentially priced!). If a ruby is rather big, there is a high probability it is synthetic or imitation.

Many times, the defects are so small that only skilled gemologists would be able to see these utilizing a process called spectroscopy. Under high magnification and special instruments, these defects on naturally mined stones become obvious.
Synthetic rubies are typically flawless, as these microscopic inclusions are tough to replicate in lab conditions. If your stone is perfect, it is most likely a synthetic stone or possibly even an imitation. Having stated that, if there are bubble-like inclusions, this can be an indicator that the stone is glass and not an actual ruby.

Ruby is an extremely difficult stone, a 9 on the Mohs scale. Scratch the surface of your ruby with an essential or coin, and look for any scratch marks. Use the ruby to scratch a difficult and yet smooth surface, such as a piece of glass. Having said that, if there are bubble-like inclusions, this can be an indication that the stone is glass and not an actual ruby.

Do rubies increase in value?

At an auction of rough rubies in Singapore in 2018, an incredible 95 percent of the stones offered– nearly 589,000 carats in all– for $71.8 million. The ruddy gems have actually seen a more-than-fourfold price increase per carat in the past 4 years, with the finest rubies bring $1 million per carat for the very first time, as much as top-tier diamonds.

If a person had bought rubies a years back, states Seth Holehouse, co-chief executive officer at auctioneer Fortuna, it would be “like someone who bought Google stock in Year 3 vs. purchasing it now.” The stones have ended up being a staple for numerous jewelers, consisting of Harry Winston, Bulgari, Tiffany, and Cartier.

There’s been a surge in demand from the Chinese, who value gems because they’re gorgeous and portable and hold their worth more reliably than stocks. And the Chinese color of option is red, seen on everything from wedding event dresses and New Year envelopes to the Communist Celebration flag.

China’s rush to rubies has particularly impacted the stone’s premium tier, the so-called pigeon’s blood. The best of those were constantly Burmese, but from 2008 to 2016, the U.S. prohibited the import of the stones from Myanmar as part of sanctions versus the military program for human-rights abuses. (Chinese buyers dealt with no such obstacle.) The regime fell, however, activists are now protesting Bulgari, Cartier, and other brand names for utilizing gems from the country– where the follower government is involved in a genocide against the Muslim Rohingya minority.

Coloured rubies are amongst the best gemstone financial investments. Great unheated rubies in larger sizes from Myanmar draw costs over US$ 1 million S$ 1.35 million) per carat at auction. Rubies frequently have inclusions, so colour is a more important factor in the worth of a stone than clearness.

Can ruby jewelry be worn every day?

Ruby is great everyday gemstone to wear.  With a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale and toughness rated excellent, it is one of the most durable gemstones of the Planet.

How to take care of ruby jewelry?

Warm soapy water is always safe. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are typically safe for unheated, heat-treated, and lattice diffusion treated stones. Fracture-filled, cavity-filled, or dyed rubies must just be cleaned with a moist fabric. The glass can be damaged through contact with a variety of chemicals. Even relatively mild substances like lemon juice can cause changes in the high-lead content glass.

Prevent storing rubies in a container or bag with other gems. Lay them independently in a flat compartment to guard against scratching softer, more easily damaged gems.

What are the other stones that are more affordable compared to ruby?

A high quality, flawless-looking red ruby can quickly set you back several thousand dollars– in some cases upwards of tens of countless dollars– depending on the size of the gemstone. But, if it’s that intense scarlet color and vibrancy that interest you, a red spinel looks incredibly similar to a ruby and is a portion of the cost.

Red gemstones look equally gorgeous when set in either yellow or white metals. So whether you’re aiming to set the gem in a pendant or a ring, you can choose whichever metal matches your current precious jewelry closet and more than happy with your selection.