RUBIES
- nottingham27
- Jul 22
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 23
by
Ruby is the birthstone of July and the gem for 15th and 40th anniversaries, if you or a loved one has a birthday in July or you are celebrating a special anniversary, here is what you need to know when buying the perfect gift.
Once you have read everything you need to know head over to our ‘rubies’ collection to start shopping for the perfect gift.
Ruby is a variety of the corundum family, as is sapphire. Corundum comes in a huge variety of many colours, most of which are labeled as sapphire, however red and specific shades of pink are classed as rubies.
Rubies score 9 on the Mohs scale (matched with sapphire) and is the hardest mineral after diamond, but only 1/140 as hard!
Coloured stones are valued based on the vividness of the colour of the stone. Rubies get their colour from traces of the element chromium, the higher the traces the stronger the colour. Most show purplish-red to brownish-red hues, the combination of hue, tone and saturation can provide gem dealers with an indication of the stones geographic origin.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is one of the oldest recorded sources of fine rubies. Burmese rubies have a vivid and pure, dark red colour known as ‘pigeon blood’. Most gems found in the Burma area are generally discovered in small carat weights, the few larger stones will go on to sell for millions due to their rarity.
Another important source of rubies include Thailand, Thai rubies are famed for their desirable deep red primary hue but are characterised by a subtle purple secondary hue that sets these gems apart from other sources. Mozambique is also an important new source for the ruby and those found there have been compared to the famed Burmese rubies.
Ruby has been a popular gemstone for centuries and has been set in many famous historic pieces. Historically, the stone has been given many different names by different parts of the world, highlighting its popularity and importance it has with many different civilisations.
The name Ruby comes from the Latin word ‘ruber’, which means ‘red’ and in ancient India ruby was labelled as the “King of gems”. Early cultures believed that Rubies held the power of life, and ancient scriptures mention them in association with beauty and wisdom. Examples where this is seen in history is the use of rubies used in Indian jewellery as a symbol of power and youthful energy; another example is how warriors carried ruby as a talisman as they believed it made them invincible in battle.
Both our Groby and Nottingham stores have a large selection of Ruby jewellery to view and we are always happy to source the perfect Ruby or Rubies for your unique piece.
Rubies are often discovered in inherited pieces and as such a perfect for a re-design project too.
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