| Ruby |
|

Ruby |

Ruby Doublet |

Ruby Crystal |

Ruby Rough |

Star Ruby
Africa |

Star Ruby
Burma |

Natural Mogok |

Natural Modok
Rough |
The modern word Ruby is derived from the ancient Latin term "Rubeus". The
earliest record for the mining of Rubies goes back to more than 2,500 years
ago in Sri Lanka. Historically, many believe that mystical powers lie within
this intensely colored red gemstone. When inserted beneath the skin, the
ancient Burmese believed that the stone generates a mystical force, which
protects the wearer from accidents and attacks. In the ancient world, many
believed Rubies to contain prophetic powers, enabling wearers to predict
their future based on the color changes of their gemstones. The ancient
Hindus enchanted by the color of Rubies considered them to be "Ratnaraj"
or the "King of Precious Stones". Today, Burma is the world's
largest provider of high quality Rubies. Many consider Burmese Rubies from
the Mogok Valley to be the world's finest. Vietnam, Kenya, Tanzania and
Sri Lanka are some of the other providers of this truly enchanting gemstone.
Thailand, with large deposits near the Cambodian border, was previously
the world's largest provider of Rubies, but due to environmental regulations,
the mining of gemstones has been greatly reduced. Rubies and Sapphires are
closely related, having corundum as their base mineral. The difference in
color occurs because of the different trace minerals contained within each
gemstone. Thai Rubies tend to have a darker color and less intensity than
Burmese Rubies, which are known for their high quality and high price range;
however, very fine Rubies can be found in Thailand at very affordable prices.
African Rubies tend to have heavy inclusions, but beautiful stones with
fine clarity can be found, usually in the higher price range. Rubies come
in many different shapes and sizes, providing great variety to gemstone
lovers. With hardness just below that of Diamonds, Rubies are one of the
toughest gemstones, and with no cleavage, breakage rarely occurs. This makes
Ruby perfect for all kinds of jewelry including Ruby rings, Ruby necklaces
and Ruby earrings. Another popular form of ruby jewelry is with the rarer
yet equally magnificent "Star Rubies". Today online "Star
Rubies" have helped increase the popularity of jewelry with Rubies.
Microscopic inclusions, sometimes called "silk", are a normal
characteristic of Rubies. However, heating tends to dissolve these inclusions.
The existence of inclusions provides traces to the Rubies' origin and can
be used to separate natural from synthetic stones. The inclusions within
these gemstones may also be evidence that a Ruby has not been heat-treated.Inclusions
do not affect the value of the stone as long as the brilliance of the gemstone
is maintained and they are not visible to the naked eye. Intensity and uniformity
of the red color are the factors used to determine the price of Rubies.
Highly valued Rubies are those with intense medium red and uniformed color.
Intense pink Rubies can be highly appraised as well, if they are clear and
beautifully cut. The evaluation of Rubies should be done under different
light settings. When viewed under very strong light, Rubies may show very
intense color; however, when viewed under normal lighting, the gemstone
may appear less intense. Light is therefore a very important factor in determining
the true color of Rubies. To help assess their symmetry, Rubies must be
judged from their face up position and their overall beauty should always
be taken into consideration. |