For thousands of years, the ruby has been considered one of the most valuable gemstones on Earth. It has everything a precious stone should have: magnificent color, excellent hardness and outstanding brilliance. In addition to that, it is an extremely rare gemstone, especially in its finer qualities.

For a long time India was regarded as the ruby's classical country of origin. In the major works of Indian literature, a rich store of knowledge about gemstones has been handed down over a period of more than two thousand years. The term 'corundum', which we use today, is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kuruvinda'. The Sanskrit word for ruby is 'ratnaraj', which means something like 'king of the gemstones'. And it was a royal welcome indeed which used to be prepared for it.

Whenever a particularly beautiful ruby crystal was found, the ruler sent high dignitaries out to meet the precious gemstone and welcome it in appropriate style. Today, rubies still decorate the insignia of many royal households. But are they really all genuine rubies? Read on to find out more!

Only a little bit of chrome ...

Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum, one of the hardest minerals on Earth, of which the sapphire is also a variety. Pure corundum is colorless. Slight traces of elements such as chrome, iron, titanium or vanadium are responsible for the color. These gemstones have excellent hardness. On the Mohs scale their score of 9 is second only to that of the diamond. Only red corundum is entitled to be called ruby, all other colors being classified as sapphires. The close relationship between the ruby and the sapphire has only been known since the beginning of the 19th century. Up to that time, red garnets or spinels were also thought to be rubies. (That, indeed, is why the 'Black Ruby' and the 'Timur Ruby', two of the British Crown Jewels, were so named, when they are not actually rubies at all, but spinels.)

Ruby, this magnificent red variety from the multi-colored corundum family, consists of aluminium oxide and chrome as well as very fine traces of other elements - depending on which deposit it was from. In really fine colors and good clarity, however, this gemstone occurs only very rarely in the world's mines. Somewhat paradoxically, it is actually the coloring element chrome which is responsible for this scarcity. True enough, millions of years ago, when the gemstones were being created deep inside the core of the Earth, chrome was the element which gave the ruby its wonderful color. But at the same time it was also responsible for causing a multitude of fissures and cracks inside the crystals. Thus only very few ruby crystals were given the good conditions in which they could grow undisturbed to considerable sizes and crystallize to form perfect gemstones. For this reason, rubies of more than 3 carats in size are very rare. So it is no wonder that rubies with hardly any inclusions are so valuable that in good colors and larger sizes they achieve top prices at auctions, surpassing even those paid for diamonds in the same category.

Some rubies display a wonderful silky shine, the so-called 'silk' of the ruby. This phenomenon is caused by very fine needles of rutile. And now and then one of the rare star rubies is found. Here too, the mineral rutile is involved: having formed a star-shaped deposit within the ruby, it causes a captivating light effect known by the experts as asterism. If rubies of this kind are cut as half-dome shaped cabochons, the result is a six-spoke star which seems to glide magically across the surface of the stone when the latter is moved. Star rubies are precious rarities. Their value depends on the beauty and attractiveness of the color and, though only to a lesser extent, on their transparency. Fine star rubies, however, should always display rays which are fully formed all the way to the imaginary horizontal line which runs through the middle of the stone, and the star itself should be situated right in the centre.

Ruby-red means passion

Red for ruby. Ruby-red. The most important thing about this precious stone is its color. It was not for no reason that the name 'ruby' was derived from the Latin word 'rubens', meaning 'red'. The red of the ruby is incomparable: warm and fiery. Two magical elements are associated with the symbolism of this color: fire and blood, implying warmth and life for mankind. So ruby-red is not just any old color, no, it is absolutely undiluted, hot, passionate, powerful color. Like no other gemstone, the ruby is the perfect way to express powerful feelings. Instead of symbolizing a calm, controlled affection, a ring set with a precious ruby bears witness to that passionate, unbridled love that people can feel for each other.

Birthplaces of fine rubies

Pictured (left) is The Carmen Lúcia Ruby

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History has received one of the world's largest and finest ruby gemstones. The spectacular 23.1-carat Burmese ruby, set in a platinum ring with diamonds, was donated by businessman and philanthropist Peter Buck in memory of his wife Carmen Lúcia. The Carmen Lúcia Ruby will be on view indefinitely in the museum's National Gem Collection, part of the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals.

Photos by Chip Clark
This extraordinary gemstone displays a richly saturated homogenous red color combined with an exceptional degree of transparency. In addition to the pleasant shape, the finely proportioned cut provides many vivid red color reflections. The stone was mined from the fabled Mogok region of Burma in the 1930s. While sapphire, emerald and diamond gems weighing hundreds of carats exist, high quality Burmese rubies larger than 20 carats are exceedingly rare. More Info...

Which is the most beautiful ruby-red? Good question. The red of a ruby may involve very different nuances depending on its origin. The range of those nuances is quite wide, and could perhaps be compared to hotel categories, from luxury accommodation down to a plain inn or hotel. For example, if the gemstone experts refer to a 'Burmese ruby', they are talking about the top luxury category. However, it does not necessarily follow that the stone is of Burmese origin. It is basically an indication of the fact that the color of the ruby in question is that typically shown by stones from the famous deposits in Burma (now Myanmar): a rich, full red with a slightly bluish hue. The color is sometimes referred to as 'pigeon-blood-red', but the term 'Burmese color' is a more fitting description. A connoisseur will immediately associate this color with the legendary 'Mogok Stone Tract' and the gemstone center of Mogok in the North of Myanmar. Here, the country's famous ruby deposits lie in a mountain valley surrounded by high peaks. Painstakingly, gemstones of an irresistible luminosity are brought to light in the 'valley of the rubies'. Unfortunately, really fine qualities are quite rare even here. The color of a Burmese ruby is regarded as exceptionally vivid. It is said to display its unique brilliance in any light, be it natural or artificial.

The journey to the world's most important ruby deposits takes us further on to the small town of Mong Hsu in the North-East of Myanmar, where the most important ruby deposits of the nineties lie. Originally, it was believed that these rubies would hardly prove suitable for use in jewelry, since untreated Mong Hsu ruby crystals actually display two colors: a purple to black core and a bright red periphery. Only when it had been discovered that the dark core could be turned into deep red by means of heat treatment did rubies from Mong Hsu begin to find their way on to the jewelry market. Today, the Mong Hsu gemstone mines are still among the most important ruby suppliers. In the main, they offer heat-treated rubies in commercial qualities and sizes between 0.5 and 3 carats.

Ruby deposits also exist in neighboring Vietnam, near the Chinese border. Rubies of Vietnamese origin generally display a slightly purplish hue. Rubies from Thailand, another classical supplier, however, often have a darker red which tends towards brown. This 'Siamese color' - an elegantly muted deep red - is considered second in beauty only to the Burmese color, and is especially popular in the USA. Ceylon rubies, which have now become very rare, are mainly light red, like ripe raspberries.

Other ruby deposits are located in Northern Pakistan in the Hunza Valley, Kashmir, Tadzhikistan, Laos, Nepal, and Afghanistan. But rubies are also produced in India, where deposits with relatively large crystals were discovered in the federal states of Mysore and Orissa. These crystals have many inclusions, but they are, nevertheless, eminently suited to being cut as beads or cabochons.

Lately, people have begun to talk about East Africa as a source of rubies. Straight after their discovery in the 1960s, rubies from Kenya and Tanzania surprised the experts by their beautiful, strong color, which may vary from light to dark red. But in the African mines too, fine and clear rubies of good color, purity and size are very rare. Usually the qualities mined are of a merely average quality.

Color above (almost) everything

As we have said, color is a ruby's most important feature. Its transparency is only of secondary importance. So inclusions do not impair the quality of a ruby unless they decrease the transparency of the stone or are located right in the center of its table. On the contrary: inclusions within a ruby could be said to be its 'fingerprint', a statement of its individuality and, at the same time, proof of its genuineness and natural origin. The cut is essential: only a perfect cut will underline the beauty of this valuable and precious stone in a way befitting the 'king of the gemstones'. However, a really perfect ruby is as rare as perfect love. If you do come across it, it will cost a small fortune. But when you have found 'your' ruby, don't hesitate: hang on to it!

A Ruby Crystal in My Collection

Pictured below is a 59.44 ct. Natural Ruby Crystal in my collection shown from different sides. All three images are of the same crystal.

Ruby in Zoisite (also in my collection)

Synthetic Rubies Synthetic rubies (lab-created) are real rubies as far as their chemical properties are concerned. Because they are made in a laboratory instead of by nature, they are not considered natural. Some of the inclusions may be different between natural rubies and synthetics. It may take a trained gemologist to be able to tell if the ruby is lab-created or natural. Rubies were first synthesized in 1902 with a process known as the Verneuil process. There are several different ways to create rubies. One method is the flame-fusion process. This process is fairly inexpensive and can produce rubies in a few hours. The melted ingredients are dripped into a boule and are then allowed to cool at room temperature and pressure to crystallize. They are not of a very good quality and are often found in costume jewelry, class rings, and lower priced jewelry. Another method is the flux-growth process. This process takes much longer and can produce rubies that are difficult to distinguish from natural rubies. The ingredients are melted into a flux (molten chemical) and are then crystallized under restricted conditions. This process may take many months to complete. A company that is well known for its flux produced rubies is Chatham. Chatham began producing flux rubies in 1958 and were the first company to do so worldwide. Other synthetic rubies include Douros from Greece, Kashan, Chakravorty, and Ramaura.

From left to right: Chakrovorty™ Synthetic Ruby Crystal, Kashan™ Synthetic Ruby Crystal, Faceted Synthetic Rubies, and Flame Fusion Boule Synthetic Rubies. Images taken from Roger K. Pabian's July Birthstone - Ruby http://csd.unl.edu/csd/birthstones/ruby/ruby.html

Most of the Rubies I acquire appear close to the ones pictured below:

Famous Rubies
A few rubies have distinguished themselves because of their size or extraordinary beauty and arc being guarded for posterity The Louvre in Paris houses the Anne of Brittany Ruby, a 105-carat polished but irregular gem. The 167-carat Edwardes Ruby was donated to the British Museum of Natural History in 1887 by John Ruskin. This 167-carat gem was named in honor of Major-General Sir Herbert Benjamin Edwardes (1819-G8) who saved British rule in India during the years of the Indian Mutiny. Two star rubies are displayed in American museums. The Smithsonian displays the 137-carat Rosser Reeves Ruby, and The American Museum of Natural History has the 100-carat Edith Haggin de Long Ruby.

Where Rubies Can Be Found
The different geographical sources of ruby are known for characteristic colors and qualities, although they all produce a variety of gem material. Burma is famous for producing the greatest amount of top quality ruby-a fine, clear, deep red. Thailand is known for dark red to brownish-red stones. Typical Ceylon (Sri Lanka) rubies are medium light in tone. And Africa is known for small, sheet-like, purplish-red material.

Burma is the most important source of ruby today. Other producers are the island of Sri Lanka-(formerly Ceylon), the countries of' Thailand, Kampuchea (Cambodia), India and Australia, various localities in Africa and our own state of North Carolina.

Ruby History & Lore
Ruby was named for the Latin word 'ruber' which means red. Ruby's day is said to be Tuesday, its season summer, and its apostle St. Matthew. Eastern legends believe that rubies contain the spark of life "a deep drop of the heart's blood of Mother Earth." Some ancient Orientals believed that the ruby is self-luminous and called it "glowing stone" or "lamp stone." It is believed that the Emperor of China used a ruby to light his chamber. Hindu priests believed that the homes of the gods were lighted by emeralds and rubies. Greek legends also speak of ruby. It was said that a female stork repaid Heraclea for her kindness by bringing her a ruby so bright that it illuminated her room at night. Ancient Hindus, Burmese, and Ceylonese believed that rubies ripen with age. They believed that sapphires were unripe rubies and that inclusions in stones meant they were overripe. Rubies were thought to bring good health, guard against wicked thoughts, amorous desires, and disputes during the Middle Ages. Red stones including rubies were thought to cure bleedings. A stone which turned darker was thought to warn its owner of coming misfortunes, illness, or death.

The price of wisdom is above rubies," says Job in the Bible,
implying that rubies were highly prized in his time.

Indeed, the respect and appreciation for rubies has always
transcended all geographical boundaries and social class.

ICA