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by Julie Lee
of Julie's Jewelry Design, LLC
Ruby,
July's birthstone, and the traditional stone for the fortieth wedding
anniversary. It is the most prized of red gemstones and is considered to
be the medium-to-dark orangey red to purplish red variety of corundum. All other
colors of corundum are considered sapphire.
Throughout history, ruby has been
considered the king of gems. In Sanskrit, ruby was called ratnaraj, which means
"king of gems". Wearing ruby was thought to bring health, wealth, wisdom, and
success in love. Worn in a ring on the left hand or in a brooch on the
left side, it gave the magical ability to live in peace among enemies. The
Burmese thought a ruby inserted in a warrior's flesh made him invincible.
The Union of Myanmar (Burma) and Sri Lanka
are the oldest ruby sources. Myanmar's production has fluctuated since World War
II, but the Burmese rubies from this country include stones connoisseurs
consider the world's best. The Mogok region in Burma has produced rubies with
the finest red color. Rubies are still found in Sri Lanka but in very small
quantities and the stones are often pale, almost pink. Thailand is today the
main source of rubies. Thai rubies are generally a bit darker than the Burmese
rubies with a violet tinge and fewer inclusions. Other sources of ruby
include Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Cambodia.
The rubies used in jewelry today normally
range from melee sizes up to about five carats. Large, high quality rubies are
among the rarest of gems.
The British Museum collection includes a
crystal that weighs 3,450 carats and there is a 196.1-carat crystal in the LA
County Museum of Natural History. The Edwardes Ruby, part of the British Crown
Jewels, weighs 167 carats.
Ruby's color varies from orangey red to
violet red, but because the gem is pleochroic, different colors can be found in
the same stone. The color is also accompanied by marked fluorescence that is
stimulated by ordinary artificial light and above all, by the ultraviolet rays
of direct sunlight. Thus reddish rubies turn brighter red under such light and
the purplish ones look "redder".
If the color of the gemstone is too pale,
it may be considered pink sapphire instead of ruby; if the color is more violet
than red it is considered a violet sapphire.
We have many choices available for you in
ruby. Genuine faceted rubies from our gemstone inventory in four qualities
ranging from "B" to "AA". We carry a large selection of shapes, sizes and
cuts including diamond-cut rounds and cabochon cuts. Also offered are lab-grown
rubies in A, Fine, and Gem qualities.
Our selection grows as we continue to add
new choices for you based on supply. If ever you are searching for a particular
size in ruby, or any gemstone, that is not available from our regular stock,
please contact our Gemstone Special Order Consultant.
Please call your friendly sales consultant
today to place your order for the "king of gems", ruby!
Julie Lee is a web designer and founder of
Julie's Jewelry Design, LLC. Julie's Jewels is a
Texas based retail jewelry company specializing in high quality, affordable
jewelry pieces created to be treasured for a lifetime.
If anyone would like to republish the above article, please
email me your request and where it will reside, and I'll send you a
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