Ruby
Ruby is one of the oldest gemstones used in jewellery. The word ruby has Latin origin, ‘rubens’, meaning red and is one of the rarest gemstones on Earth. Ruby is considered one of the four ‘precious’ gemstones which include diamond, sapphire and emerald as the other members. Because of the way ruby is formed in Nature it can be found all around the world, however to find it in commercial gem grade quality is extremely rare. The only two commercial sources of ruby today is Burma and Mozambique, though deposits have been found in Australia, Vietnam, Tanzania, Madagascar and Afghanistan.
Rubies can vary in hue from a purple red to a brown or orangy red however the most prized colour is a deep, rich straight red, rather gruesomely called in the trade ‘pidgeon-blood’ red.
Loose Rubies
We have a large range of sapphires in stock at any one time. Many are loose and you can help design your own jewellery, but also many are already made up in to stunning jewellery. Come in to any of our stores to have a look!
2.58ct $21500
1.50ct $14000
1.02ct $5450
Ruby Jewellery
Facts and Lore
| Mineral \ | Corundum |
| Hardness \ | 9 |
| Lustre \ | Vitreous |
| Cause of Colour \ | Transition Chromium |
| Density \ | 3.98 – 4.06 |
| Birthstone \ | July |
| Wedding Anniversary \ | 40th |
Ruby is named from the Latin, ruber which means ‘red’. It has found its way in the lore of many civilisations over the centuries. People in India believed that rubies enabled their owners to live in peace with their enemies. For the Egyptions ruby was the gemstone of royalty and in Burma warriors possessed rubies to make them invincible in battle. It wasn’t enough to just wear the rubies. They had to cut holes in their skin and insert them into their flesh to make them part of their bodies.
Red is the color of our most intense emotions—love and anger, passion and fury. It’s associated with objects of power and desire. Early cultures treasured rubies for their similarity to the redness of the blood that flowed through their veins, and believed that rubies held the power of life. Rubies were also the first gemstone to be synthesized by humans, a crude method involving semi melting ruby and creating larger crystalline lumps.
Ruby is one of the most historically significant colored stones. Rubies are mentioned four times in the Bible, in association with attributes like beauty and wisdom. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, ruby is called ratnaraj, or “king of precious stones.”