Ruby has been the world’s most valued gemstone for thousands of years. The finest Rubies are rarer and more valuable than even top quality colorless Diamonds. The most important deposits of rubies are found in upper Burma, near Magok. Burma quality Rubies are known for holding their brilliant color under all lighting conditions. The color of rubies are varying shades of red, the most desired color being “pigeon’s blood,” pure red with a hint of blue. It is acceptable to have slight inclusions which do not decrease the gem’s beauty.
Ruby is the birthstone for July. Rubies are the red members of the corundum family whose other member is the Sapphire. ( Ward 57) Ruby gets its red coloring from small amounts of chromium. Burmese Rubies do not contain Iron, which kills the natural florescence of Ruby. Thus a Burmese Ruby will appear more pink and hot candy red in daylight than its poorer, darker cousins from Thailand or Africa. The red color is even more augmented in low artificial light. Being the hardest mineral known, next to diamond, Rubies make an excellent choice for There are so few unflawed Rubies in sizes larger than 5 carats, that anything larger is more valuable than even a Diamond of equal quality and size.
The name Ruby is from the Latin ruber meaning red. (Read 139) Clear stones of the deeper shades are the most highly prized. When cut into a cabochon (a nonconvex) form, some specimens of ruby exhibit asterism; that is, a six-rayed star can be seen in the interior of the stone. Such rubies, called star rubies, are also highly prized. Many stones that are not rubies are nevertheless called rubies. The balas, or balas ruby, for example, is a type of spinel; the Bohemian ruby is rose quartz; the Siberian ruby is red or pink tourmaline; American ruby, Cape ruby, Montana ruby, and Rocky Mountain ruby are varieties of garnet.
The Essay on Pink color
Brighter pinks are youthful, fun, and exciting, while vibrant pinks have the same high energy as red; they are sensual and passionate without being too aggressive. Toning down the passion of red with the purity of white results in the softer pinks that are associated with romance and the blush of a young woman’s cheeks. It’s not surprising that when giving or receiving flowers, pink blossoms are a ...
Synthetic rubies were first produced in 1837 by fusing alum and chromium-oxide pigment at a high temperature. Improvements in the manufacture of synthetic rubies since then have made possible the production of synthetic stones, which are very much like the natural stone in physical and chemical properties. Synthetic rubies are used as gems, but about 75 percent of the annual production of synthetic rubies are used in the manufacture of watches and instruments. A Birthstone is any of various gems associated with the particular calendar months of the year and considered lucky to people born in those months. Some attribute the origin of the tradition of birthstones to the 12-jeweled breastplate worn by Aaron, the brother of Moses (see Exodus 39).
Myths and superstitions gradually grew up regarding the stones, and symbolic meanings or virtues were ascribed to them. Five months of the year have alternate birthstones.
(Ward 4)
Bibliography:
Page 3 WORKS CITED Ward, Fred. (1935).
Rubies & Sapphires. Bethesda: Gem Book Publishers. Read, Peter. (1991).
Gemmology. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd..
