RUBY- THE KING OF GEMS

Ruby – the gem of fire, the “king of gems”, as it is sometimes called. One of the most iconic gems in the world, and counting itself among the “big four” of the precious gems, the other three being the diamond, emerald, and sapphire. A truly beautiful gem, it can be found in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, Vietnam, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique. Since the late 20^th century, Vietnam has been another important source of fine rubies, and recently, Mozambique is a new source for the gem.

Due to its rich red color, the ruby has been known to represent love, wisdom, passion, and health. Despite amethyst being the birthstone for the month of February, ruby is also sometimes seen as a representation of the valentine month’s theme, mostly because of its color and the symbolisms linked to it. Lovers usually give their partners ruby-decorated jewelry as a gift to represent their feelings and passion towards each other. Traditionally, ruby is given to lovers on their 15^th and 40^th wedding anniversaries.

The gem is also said to represent courage, bravery, emotion, and vitality. It is believed that it would protect its owner from evil and would even bestow them great fortune, luck, wealth, and power. Throughout history, it has been the most prized possession of kings and emperors, particularly in ancient Asian empires like Japan and China, and to this day is the most desired gemstone in the whole continent, as well as most of the known world. And for its beauty, rarity, and the dear price that it fetches on the market, this should come as no surprise at all.

            Formed in a hexagonal system, its rich color ranges from red to orangey-red to slightly purplish-red. The finest color, which is the highest value of the gemstone, is a pure, deep red with a hint of blue hue, called the “Burmese Ruby.” This color is also referred to as “pigeon’s blood.” It is a color that is only found in the Mogok Valley mines in Myanmar. This “pigeon’s blood” color refers to the color of a white pigeon’s eye. The ruby gets its rich color from an abundance of the element chromium, which are traces of the mineral corundum. The corundum is the rock-forming mineral of the gemstone. The red fluorescence power of ruby helped pioneer the first working laser in 1960. Both natural and synthetic rubies are used to this day for lasers, watches, and medical instruments, as well as a load of other practical applications.

            In ancient India, rubies were discovered to be one or the rarest precious stones, and its hardness was second only to that of the diamond’s. It possessed such great beauty, and seemingly had mystical powers as well. For this reason, many ancient civilizations and settlements connected the gem to their superstitious beliefs and embedded these beliefs to their values, religious rites, and general way of life. According to some ancient Indian superstitions, the stone was said to bring youthful vigor to whoever wore it, even if they were of old age. It was believed to prolong its bearer’s life and make them one with the forces around them. They called it the “king of precious stones.” Other people believed it could predict misfortune or danger, hence the belief in the protection it supposedly provides for its owner. Others claimed that it cured inflammatory diseases and calm anger, despite red being the most common color representation of passion and wrath. The Burmese warriors believed it made them invincible in war, so much so that their rulers wore armor and helmets decorated with the stone to sort of “imbue” their equipment with the stone’s power. The Medieval Europeans were the ones who believed that this precious gemstone granted health, wisdom, wealth, and love.

Ruby has been a hot grab for all kinds of traders since its discovery, and many merchants reserved any rubies they had for their clients of royalty, wealth, or people of political power. From ancient times to the modern day, the ruby has been a very popular gem for the rich and powerful. Women of wealth, especially, would wear ruby jewelries to show off their high status and position in society. Ruby necklaces, in particular, are some of the most popular gemstone necklaces among such people.

Because of its representation of love, passion, and emotion, the ruby is a popular choice for wedding ring or engagement ring center stones. But its popularity with rings is not, in any way, limited to just rings associated with love. It is also a very popular jewel for statement rings, especially among women of wealth and power.

 One issue that ruby owners seem to always have is cleaning the jewel. When done wrong, this can be very detrimental to the stone’s quality and, consequently, both its beauty and value. You will need help from an experienced jeweler to give you advise and even demonstrate it to you when cleaning your ruby for the first time. The July birthstone can be safely cleaned with warm soapy water and a soft brush, but you need to be very careful when doing so, especially around the stone’s edges.

Whether your birthstone is a ruby or not, possessing a ruby is a rare and precious thing. You can wear them on a pendant, ring, earrings, bands, and bracelets and cuffs. And to help you make a wise, educated decision on your jewelry needs, we at Angelucci Jewelry will always just be one call, text, or email away. You might also like to check out our custom ring builder if you want to design your very own ruby ring, and we will have it delivered straight to your doorstep. And please do not forget to check out our other educational content as well.