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Royal ruby: the birthstone of the month of July
Gemstone Education
Diamondsbyme
10 February 2023
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In this blog, you will learn all about the ruby, the beautiful red gemstone that is a favourite of many and your birthstone if your birthday is in the month of July!
In the Middle Ages, the ruby was thought to 'cure bleeding' and warn the wearer of misfortune, illness, or death. The ruby would darken in colour in times of uncertainty! Because of this, the ruby is also known as "The King of Gemstones" in India. And for this reason, many royal jewels and crowns are also set with rubies.
The ruby is one of the most expensive gemstones. Compared to all other gemstones, the price of the ruby increases as the stone gets bigger. This is because large rubies are even harder to find than large diamonds, emeralds and sapphires.
The ruby belongs to the family of the mineral corundum. The purest form of corundum is colourless, but corundum takes on a red colour if the mineral contains a little chromium. Only the red minerals are called rubies; the other colours are often sapphires. The ancient Hindus saw sapphires as immature rubies. They believed that if you buried sapphires in the ground, they would develop into rubies.
Rubies and sapphires are known for their hardness (9 on the Mohs scale, on which 10 is the highest attainable and is) and striking colour. After diamonds, rubies and sapphires are the hardest gemstones in existence. In addition, natural rubies often have inclusions. Inclusions are small bumps in the stone.
To make the colour of rubies even more intense, the stones are heated. Rubies can be heated up to 1,800 degrees. Besides making the colour more intense, impurities in the stone can also disappear through the heating process. The most beautiful colour of a ruby is also known as "pigeon's blood".
If you would like to search for the perfect ruby yourself, you should book a holiday to Myanmar or Thailand! One of the best-known sources for the rarest rubies is the Mogok Valley in northern Myanmar (formerly Burma). Thailand is another great source for rubies. The rubies from Thailand are known for their deep, brownish-red colour. In both Thailand and Myanmar, rubies are considered the national stone. Other important sources are Sri Lanka and Tanzania, but rubies are even found in America and Australia. So with a lot of luck (and knowledge), you can go looking for them yourself!
The ruby is one of the most prized gemstones in history, making it the perfect choice for an engagement ring or a beautiful unique vintage ring. At DiamondsByMe, we can incorporate the ruby into almost any design for you! Check out our collection of rings with ruby here!
