The beautiful ruby is one of the most precious and valuable gemstones available. It is the red variety of the mineral corundum, the blue variety being Sapphire. In Sanskrit, ruby is ratnaraj, meaning the King of Gems, and is highly prized for it’s beauty and durability.
Colour
The most alluring characteristic about the ruby is it’s mesmerising blood red tones. Corundum is typically transparent, but the ruby gets deep colour from the chromium trace element in its crystal composition. The richness of the red depends on how much chromium is present – the more chromium, the stronger the colour. Rubies often display a variety of hues ranging from an orangey-red, purple, and pink. The most valuable rubies tend to have medium darkness, and vivid red tones.
Where is it found?
Deposits of Ruby have been found in Kenya, Thailand, Russia, but the world’s most notable and principal source for rubies has for centuries been The Mogok Valley in Myanmar (Burma).
The rubies in this region form mostly in marble. Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms when limestone is subjected to heat and pressure. It has a low iron content so usually marble-hosted rubies have an intense red colour, and are the most valuable.
In addition, rubies found in marble typically fluoresce red under ultraviolet light, giving off even more intense and beautiful rich red hues.
In Jewellery
Ruby is the birthstone for July, and the traditional gemstone 40th wedding anniversaries. The gemstone is said to represent love, health and wisdom, and it is believed that wearing a fine red ruby brings good fortune and strength.
To read more about the mystical and mythical properties of ruby see our article Ruby Myths and Legends.
To learn how to care for your ruby jewellery follow this link to see our 4 Simple Rules.
To find the perfect gemstone for your loved one, shop below!
