Ruby

Ruby can range from brownish-red through pinkish-red to the ideal bright, deep red of the most valuable and sought after stones. The colour is caused by the presence of chromium. The higher the concentration the truer the red. Chromium can also cause fluorescence which contributes to the ‘glowing hot coal’ appearance of some rubies.

The finest quality stones traditionally came from Burma, the colour of which is often referred to as ‘Pigeon Blood’ but other important sources include Vietnam, Thailand and more recently Tanzania and Mozambique where Gemfields are mining some particularly fine stones.

Rubies have been prized for thousands of years across many cultures, they are mentioned several times in the Bible – the quote “The price of wisdom is above rubies” being familiar to most – by Pliny in his Natural History and were referred to as “the king of precious stones” in the ancient Sanskrit language. 

Ruby is the anniversary stone for 40 years of marriage, by which time they are well deserved! They are available in a wide spectrum of prices meaning we are able to source stones suitable for a range of projects.

Description: Ruby is the red variety of the Corundum family, all other colours being Sapphires, some of the most beautiful stones come from Burma.

Hardness: 9 on Mohs Scale

Birthstone: July