All About Rubies

 Ruby derives its name from the Latin word for red, “Rufus”. Ruby is July's birthstone, the gemstone for Capricorns and the traditional fortieth anniversary gift.

Ruby, “The King of Gems” is one of the world’s oldest and most revered gemstones. It is also one of the rarest. It is Corundum like sapphire but it has the mineral chrome in it to make it a vibrant red color. The most desired color is “pigeon’s blood”, pure red with a hint of blue. Rubies are found in Burma, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The most important finds are in upper Burma near Magok. That is where the pigeon’s blood color is found.

Microscopic inclusions, commonly known as “Silk”, are a normal characteristic of Rubies. Evenly distributed small quantities of “Silk” act like fine dust, creating a soft, uniform distribution of light throughout the Ruby, enhancing its beauty.

Inclusions in ruby are common, they are not indicative of lower quality, but show the difference between a natural and a synthetic stone. The type of inclusion often indicates the source area. Silk is usually burned out to improve the clarity of the stone. A star ruby is when rutile needles or inclusions in the stone align in such a way that when exposed to direct light a six-rayed star will form in the center of the ruby. The star moves over the surface in relation to the light source.

Some of our One of a Kind Ruby Pieces: