Ruby

Ruby corundum

Evoking blood and fire, the ruby is synonymous with courage, bravery and victory.

The ruby owes its name to its red color, from the Latin “rubeus” meaning “reddish”.

This gem is one of four gemstones along with diamond, emerald, and sapphire.

It was only around 1800 that it was attached to the corundum group with sapphire, before this date ruby, red spinel and pyrope garnet were called “carbuncles”.

The color of ruby corundum, often unevenly distributed in streaks or spots, is attributed to the presence of chromium oxide, with a participation of iron for the brown tones.

Corundum rubies and corundum sapphires are the hardest minerals after diamonds, their hardness varies according to direction.

The color and nature of the inclusions of the corundum ruby give an indication of its geographical origin.

The most sought after of all the colors of corundum ruby is the so-called “pigeon’s blood” pure red with a hint of blue, often of Burmese origin in the Mogok region of Burma renamed Myanmar in 2010.

The most important deposits of ruby corundum are located in Myanmar, Thailand, (Siam), Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Mozambique, other deposits exist as in Brazil, Cambodia, United States, Norway, but not significant.

Ruby gemstone

The precious stone ruby from Thailand turns brown or purple, it is found in the clayey gravels of the Chanthaburi region and in Sri Lanka, the deposits are in the Rathnapura region “the city of precious stones” in Sinhalese.

The ruby gemstone is regularly enhanced by heat treatment, a natural method that finalizes the heating process that occurs in the earth when the gemstone was formed.

The ruby gemstone frequently contains inclusions, they do not or little determine the quality of the gem, they especially guarantee its authenticity of “natural ruby” compared to “synthetic rubies”.

The nature of the inclusions of the ruby, minerals, channels or liquid inclusions, provide many indications on its type of deposit.

The rutile inclusions in the ruby gemstone give this gem a soft sheen called “bristles” and when the ruby is cabochon cut, these bristles produce an “asterism” or sometimes cat’s eye effect depending on size orientation.

As with the emerald, around the ruby has developed a new interest in the “trapiche” gemstone ruby, it is then the gem that is cut in a cabochon centered on the convergence of six darker zones, which forms a dim, fixed star, not to be confused with asterism.

In lithotherapy, the ruby represents integrity, courage, generosity and prosperity, it is also a symbol of love and is therefore often considered an aphrodisiac. Ruby is primarily associated with the fourth chakra, the heart chakra.

Ruby precious stone, so coveted and sought after, occupies a predominant place in the world of jewelry and high jewelry to sublimate the most beautiful jewelry in the world.