ruby
overview
- Naming : In Latin, rubens means "red, the red one" - hence the name "ruby red".
- Mineral group: Red variety of the rock corundum. With a Mohs hardness of 9, corundum is the second hardest mineral after diamond.
- Colour : The gemstone owes its red colouring to an admixture of chromium and, in brownish tones, also iron.
From dark red to light red to an elegant pale red, rubies can be found in many variations. - Cut : The cuts for gemstone processing range from cabochon cuts to facet cuts for rubies. Heart, octagon or oval are also popular ruby shapes. The facet cut is best suited for clear rubies, the cabochon cut is more suitable for those with optical effects.
- Special feature : The so-called rutile needles give the ruby a very special shine.
The fluorescence of the gemstone makes the red color appear even more intense.
Quality factors
Color
The color of the ruby is crucial for its value. Rubies in pigeon blood red, the reddest shade, are particularly popular.
carat
Carat weight is the weight of a gemstone. 0.2 grams correspond to one carat (ct). The higher the carat weight, the more valuable the stone, although stones with higher purity and better color can have a higher value despite a lower carat weight.
purity
Purity is very important when it comes to rubies. Even though there are hardly any completely pure gemstones of this type, large inclusions reduce the value - but also make the gemstone something very special.
cut
The cut is important because it makes the ruby shine. Whether you want a faceted or cabochon cut ruby is up to your personal taste.
The rutile needles
The so-called rutile needles give a ruby a special optical elegance. If a stone contains a few rutile needles arranged parallel to each other, the gemstone has a silky shine. The more rutile needles there are in the ruby, the cloudier the stone is. The coveted cat's eye effect (chatoyance) can also be created by arranging many rutile needles parallel to the crystal axis. The most coveted rubies include star rubies (also known as asterism).
Special Rubies
The Most Desired
The most sought-after rubies are the genuine Burmese rubies, preferably in the color pigeon blood red: a pure red with a slight blue tinge. Due to the low deposits, Mozambique rubies are also very rare and popular.
The Greatest
The largest ruby ever found came from Myanmar and weighed 400 carats.
Special occasions
birthstone
The ruby is considered the birthstone for July.
wedding anniversary
Ruby is often given as a gift on 15th and 40th wedding anniversaries.
occurrence of ruby
Asia
The most beautiful rubies are found in Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka (Cylon) or Thailand (Siam). However, ruby deposits can also be found in India, Afghanistan, China and Colombia.
East Africa
Unique rubies that impress with their intense color are also found in Mozambique, Tanzania and Madagascar. The Mozambique rubies are particularly impressive in terms of quality and size and have also gained importance for investment purposes alongside the Burma rubies.
jewelry with rubies
Ruby jewelry is beautiful. The ruby is well-known as a gemstone and is extremely popular. Whether in a ring, a magnificent necklace or earrings, the intense red ruby is enchanting.
We would be happy to create your individual ruby jewelry piece for you.
Rubin selection at RENÉSIM
At RENÉSIM you will receive selected rubies, which you can purchase loose or have set into an individual piece of jewelry.
Buy gemstones
Things to know
