Gem Library

BUYER’S OVERVIEW:
Ruby is classified as one of the traditional four precious stones along with emerald, sapphire and diamond. While limited in nature, gems of good color (deep, rich red) and size are available (for a price). Care should be taken to purchase stones that are untreated as many of the enhancement techniques applied to rubies are short lived and can easily be damaged or removed. In particular, the practice of filling cracks in rubies using lead glass has become increasingly common in recent years and now that the US embargo against Myanmar (Burma) material is in place, this practice will become even more popular as unscrupulous vendors look to make use of whatever pre-ban material that they can. Consider an independent gem lab analysis when purchasing a fine Ruby, it is a very worthwhile investment and the cost is typically only a small percentage of what you will pay for the stone itself.

COLOR:
Ruby comes in a narrow range of colors including; orangey red, purplish red, slightly bluish red and rich red.

APPEARANCE:
Transparent to opaque, Ruby is a Type II gemstone and is usually included.

Phenomena: Ruby often exhibits the phenomena of Asterism, a pattern of reflected light that forms star patterns (usually 6-rayed), typically seen in star rubies and star sapphires.

SIZE RANGE:
Melee (0.01) to 1 carat are typical. 1 to 5 carat stones are available but clean stones over 3 carats are very rare, stones up to 100 carats are known.

TYPICAL CUTTING STYLES:
Transparent: most cutting styles are available.
Opaque: cabochons, beads and carvings

POSSIBLE ENHANCEMENTS & TREATMENTS:
Many enhancement techniques are applied to rubies including heating to improve color, fracture filling using resins, oils or more recently, lead glass and beryllium diffusion coatings to improve color. Most of these treatments are not permanent and can easily be damaged or removed through regular wear or cleaning. If possible, try and obtain an independent gem laboratory report on the stone you wish to purchase so that you know if your stone is real and what enhancements may have been applied.

HARDNESS:
9 on the Mohs scale.

BEST USE OF THE GEMSTONE:
Ruby is a strong gemstone and can be worn in any kind of jewelry.

CARE & CLEANING:
It is best to never expose colored gemstones to cleaning solvents or chemicals of any kind.
Common cleaning methods include:
Ultrasonic: never
Steamer: never
Warm soapy water: safe
Reaction to Chemicals: attacked with difficulty, may dull polish.
Reaction to Heat: may change color
Stability to Light: stable

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS GEMSTONE:
Ruby is a variety of the mineral species corundum (ko-RUN-dum) and has been know since antiquity. While the name Ruby comes from the Latin word “ruber”, meaning red, some of the earliest references to Ruby are in Sanskrit where the word for Ruby is “ratnaraj”, which translates roughly into “king of the gemstones”. Rubies are found in many areas of the world but the most famous source of Rubies is without a doubt the Mogok valley in Burma (now Myanmar). According to legend, Rubies were first discovered in the Mogok valley in the 15^th century by bandits who settled in the region after being banished by the King of Mandalay. These criminals sent the Rubies to the King, who in turn pardoned them. The King decreed that all large Rubies found became the property of the King and breaking this law was punishable by death. Because of this law, most of the large gems found were broken into smaller ones or hidden. The mines in the Mogok area have proven to be even older than the 15^th century as both stone age and bronze age mining tools have been found in the area.

Rubies from the Mogok mines have set the world standard for Ruby quality just as Kashmir sapphires have become the standard for sapphires. The Mogok rubies have a pure red color, referred to as “pigeon’s blood” red. According to legend it is said that if a ruby was the color of a fresh drop of pigeon’s blood it was the finest color, hence the term. Burma Rubies give a red glow in bright sunlight, because of strong fluorescence properties when exposed to light rich in ultra-violet rays. In 1992 a mine was discovered in Mong Hsu, 60 miles southeast of Mogok, however, the material from that location is a dark muddy color until heated, after which it becomes a bright, lively red. Rubies from Africa can be a little more orange in color and Thai are more brownish to purplish red in color. The newest Ruby to watch is the Winza Ruby, sometimes called the Winza, Tanzanite Ruby - with a clear untreated red to purplish red color.



DESIGNATION:
Ruby is the birthstone for July, Capricorn, also the 15^th and 40^th wedding anniversary.

GEM LORE