The birthstone of July is the ruby, which immediately catches the eye with its bright red color and deep red luster. It gets its name from the Latin word 'ruber', which means red, and is undoubtedly seen as the color of love and passion. The ruby is considered among the most noble gemstones, namely the precious stones: diamond, emerald, sapphire and ruby have earned this position. In fact, all other gemstones are called "semi-precious stones".
Did you know that ruby and sapphire are actually the same gemstone - the reddish hues of sapphires have been named the ruby?
Rubies belong to the mineral family called corundum, along with sapphires of various colours. In fact, rubies are the reddish hues of sapphires, so the properties of the two stones are perfectly matched.
The ruby is not only one of the most valuable gemstones, but its price is constantly increasing and it keeps setting auction records: in May 2015, a ring adorned with a 25.59 carat ruby was sold for $32.4 million, which at $1,266,901 per carat is the highest price for a colored gemstone sold at an auction.
Among rubies, the most valuable are the stones from Myanmar (i.e. Burma), particularly the ones with pigeon blood red color, no inclusions visible to the naked eye and untreated. These are extremely rare, especially if they exceed a carat in size.
Celebrities are also aware of the prestige of the red-colored gemstone, which is why they like to show themselves in ruby jewelry at red-carpet events. Sometimes, however, the public is deceived: when the press reports on large rubies, often other gemstones (typically rubelite belonging to the tourmaline family) can be seen in the jewelry - high-quality rubies of such sizes practically do not exist.
Real rubies or deception? Victoria Beckham, Rihanna and Blake Lively in ruby - or ruby-like - high jewelry; Source: therebelheart.net, jewellerycurated.com, raphanajewellery.co.nz, elle.com.au
The main characteristics of the ruby
The bright color of the ruby is caused by the chrome in the stone, which typically gives it a red luster, which can be darker or lighter, ranging from orangy-red to purplish-red. The most noble is considered the "pigeon blood red" ruby, which is a stone with a really deep red hue with and a slight purple glow, but this is very rare nowadays. Stones without visible inclusions are also rare. In the case of rubies, however, small internal rutile inclusions are completely accepted, which in many cases can even improve the color of the stone by sufficiently increasing its brilliance. In addition, rubies often have fluorescence, which can further increase the intensity of their color, thus - unlike in case of diamonds - it is not a value-reducing factor here.
Nowadays rubies are mostly heat treated to improve their color, untreated stones are very rare. The stone can be extremely valuable even with an enhancement treatment, but the method of treatment matters: while less dramatic heat treatment is accepted, filled or diffused rubies already lose their value significantly. For a more valuable ruby, it is therefore extremely important that the method of treatment is stated on the certificate.
On the Mohs scale ruby and sapphire have a hardness of 9, so among the precious stones, only diamond is ahead of them in hardness. This makes it a durable, less sensitive gemstone.
In terms of their cut, the most common in larger sizes are cushion, oval, and occasionally pear and "mixed" cut stones, while in smaller sizes round, triangle, emerald, and marquise cut pieces can also be found.
The origin of the ruby
The first ruby is officially recorded as coming from Myanmar (formerly Burma), which is one of its most important sources, and the most valuable pieces come from here, around Mogok. From the second half of the twentieth century, Vietnam and Mozambique have also become important ruby deposits; these locations also abound in nobler pieces.
The power of rubies
Humanity has attached different importance to this precious stone in different ages and regions, but wherever it was present, it had great and mystical power. In India, it has always been held in high esteem for its unparalleled beauty, which symbolized the power of youth to them. In the Middle Ages and even later, the ruby was believed to help overcome inflammatory diseases, drive away anger and bring health, abundance, wisdom, and - last but not least - success in love.
Proper care of ruby jewelry
Ruby jewelry is best cleaned with warm soapy water and a soft brush. In the case of pieces that are untreated or heat-treated with grid diffusion, various steam and ultrasonic cleaning methods can be safely used. Stones filled with glass and possibly treated with paint should only be cleaned with a damp cloth.
For what occasion should we present ruby jewelry?
Although an incomparably beautiful, attractive red ruby jewelry can be a perfect gift for any occasion, it is customary to give rubies as a sign of our love to those born in the month of July, as well as to the 15th and 40th wedding anniversaries. Fortunately, there are many styles to choose from, so in addition to the classic pieces, there are also particularly modern, youthful and unique items. Take a look at our offer below - as ususal, we have prepared a small selection for you.
Jewelry: Cervera Jewels, Piero Milano, Terzihan, Vanilia (from PAVÉ's fine selection)