Ruby

RUBY
THE MODERN BIRTHSTONE for JULY
The 15th and 40th ANNIVERSARY STONE
The 80th ANNIVERSARY JUBILEE STONE
9 on the MOH's scale of hardnessRuby is one of the symbols of love.
Ruby is of the mineral Corundum as is Sapphire. The red color is called Ruby. Pink Sapphire is really just Light Red Ruby. The International Colored Gemstone Association passed a resolution that the light shades of the red hue be included in the category Ruby since it was too difficult to legislate where red ended and pink began. In practice, pink shades are now known either as Pink Ruby or Pink Sapphire. Either way, these gems are among the most beautiful of the corundum family. Ruby can range in color from orangy Red, pinkish Red, Red, to purplish Red. Chrome imparts the Redness to Ruby. Ruby is an excellent choice for jewelry and has a high refraction which produces a bright stone. Ruby's relative density is high, so a one Carat Ruby will be smaller in millimeter dimensions than a one Carat Diamond.
The Mogok region in Burma, or Myanmar, was the historical source for the finest Rubies. Mogok Burma Rubies are typically medium Pinkish red to medium dark pinkish Red "Cherry Red" to the most desirable "Pigeon Blood" Red that is pure red with a hint of blue. Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Rubies are typically medium Pinkish red to medium dark pinkish Red "Cherry Red" to a medium dark Purplish Red. Rubies from Thailand are generally darker in tone and tend to have a more purplish Red color. African Rubies are similar to the Burma stones in color, but quantities of facet grade material are very limited so far. Vietnamese Rubies are usually a bright, pinkish Red. Rubies were discovered in the Mong Hsu region in Burma and mining commenced in 1992. The Mong Hsu ruby mines were opened to great fanfare among gem dealers, many of whom were hoping for gems to rival the celebrated rubies of Mogok. As Mong Hsu material hit the market, it became evident that it was inferior to Mogok. The Ruby faceted stones are usually cut in the Cushion or Oval shapes. Native cutters take liberties with the cutting of the pavilions or back side of Rubies to produce larger stones by lifting out dark inclusions leaving small cavities, allowing the culet or bottom point to be off-sided, or by having deeper than necessary pavilions. These minor points are not noticeable when the stones are mounted and generally do not affect the price. Precision cuts required for designer jewelry are cut by strict standards, and consequently the cutting adds to the overall cost of the item.
Ruby was the first mineral to be produced by commercial Gem synthesis and dates to the 1880's.

TREATMENTS - The Ceylon Ruby we offer is normally "not treated", but since over 99% of all Burma Ruby on the market, and an even higher percentage of all Thai, and Vietnamese Ruby is "heat treated" to stabilize and enhance the color, you should assume that all Rubies "may have been" heat treated to enhance and stabilize the color. The typical heat treatment process is a permanent process that does not adversely affect the performance and durability of the gemstone, so there's no need to worry when you see this enhancement disclosed. The typical heat enhancement procedure performed on Ruby from Sri Lanka (Ceylon) normally refers to the lower temperature wood heat method, whereas and the typical heat enhancement procedure performed on Ruby from Burma, and other countries in that region, usually refers to the higher temperature furnace fired method that is performed at another location, both heating methods have been accepted trade practices for generations. The heat treatment process is permanent and does not adversely affect the value and/or quality of the gem, however, in recent years demand for "unheated" top quality Ruby has caused the unheated gems to command a higher premium.
COLOR - The most important factor in the value of a RUBY. The top qualities are as red as you can imagine: a saturated pure spectral hue without any overtones of brown or blue. After color, the other factors which influence the value of a ruby are clarity, cut, and size. There are many variables in colored gem pricing because it's not a controlled market like the diamond market is. One dealer may sell an Ruby of the same quality at one price and another dealer may sell that same Ruby for another price. There is no price guide as in diamond purchasing. Whatever a dealer can get for that rarer colored gem is what it's worth and if he wants to hold out for a certain amount of money he just has to hope he's making the right move. So you need to be educated enough to know what you're doing! Since we cut out these middleman dealers, you can expect to get a great quality stone for considerably less.
CARE - It is usually safe to clean Ruby in an Ultrasonic cleaner, but risky to use a steamer. We recommend ionic cleaners and/or warm, soapy water and a soft brush as the best way to clean Ruby jewelry.
Rubies are an excellent choice for investment that are today still more valuable and rare than even the top quality colorless diamonds. Top quality Ruby never decreased in true value and remains a highly valued Collectors Gemstone.

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Last modified: November 20, 2009