UrJewelry: The Ruby Information Guide

The sight of a ruby would make one think of fire, heat, and passion owing to its prominent fiery red color. The color, shine, brilliance, and its other features makes ruby a worthy birthstone of one of the hottest months, July. The hotness of this gem doesn’t end here; it is also one of the most popular universal gems around! Ruby is considered one of the four precious stones. Sapphire, Emerald, and diamond are the other three. What makes Rubies so popular and in demand? Universally red is symbolic for love, passion, fire, and strength; and Rubies are one of the reddest gems out there!

Like Love, a good quality Ruby gemstone requires some time to find. So what makes a good quality Ruby? Similar to diamonds, rubies also follow the 4 C’s. The brighter and redder the color of the ruby the more costly the red beauty is. The brightest and reddest ruby by far is called “pigeon blood red,” which is pure red with a hint of blue. The substance that provides ruby with its bright red color is chromium, and often when there is a bronish tone, iron is present. Heat treatment is often used to improve color.

After color is the clarity of the ruby, the clearer the ruby the more highly it is praised. An indication of ruby treatment is when there is an absence of the rutile needle inclusions. Many use these needles inclusions in differentiating natural rubies from synthetic rubies. The natural rutile needle inclusions give rubies a silky appearance, like the cat’s eye stone appearance. Many famous Rubies such as the Rosser Reeves Star Ruby or the De Long Star Ruby gives off this appearance.

The most desirable cut for a ruby is a cabochon or cabachon, which is a curved top with a flat bottom. This cut brings out the best of rubies. Rubies come in many different cuts and shapes including but not limited to: emerald, heart, diamond, and princess cut.

Last but not least, the carat, which in all cases of gemstones, also helps in determining the quality of the ruby. Natural Large carat rubies are often rare and therefore are frequently praised and not often for sale, but instead are shown in museums.

Many synthetic rubies resemble natural quality gemstones in their chemical, physical and visual assets. As mentioned before, synthetic rubies lack the natural needle inclusions that natural rubies have. Buyers seeking for natural rubies should avoid buying rubies under the false names such as “Balas ruby (spinel), Cape ruby (pyrope), and Siberian ruby (tourmaline).”

*UrJewelry Fashion Suggestion* Missing something red for 4^th of July, but don’t feel comfortable about a red outfit? Perfect time to accessorize that white and blue outfit with some red ruby bling!

The World's Largest Ruby according to Guinness Record (8184 g, Beijing, China)