The birthstone of July, and the “King of Gemstones”, Ruby certainly is a popular gem choice among a vast collection. As we look at a glorious red ruby, one word pops in mind – Love.
Yet, the Ruby is representative of many things along with love. It is a stone exclaiming passion, power, wisdom, and sometimes, even anger. However, due to its beautiful outlook – it has easily made its way into our jewelry.

Today, let’s explore the background and roots of the Ruby; where it comes from, what it beholds, and what it promises…

Religious Importance

The Ruby has been a popular gemstone in Christianity.

It is mentioned in the Bible 4 times precisely. It is thought when God created the 12 mighty gemstones, he gave special attention to one of them; the Ruby. Declared as the “King of Gemstones”, God then requested Aaron to wear the Ruby around his neck in the form of a beautiful necklace. This was to protect him.

Some religions have also given notable importance to the Ruby.

It was first called the “Ratnaraj”, which translated to the “King of precious gems”. Later, the name was transformed to “Ratnanayaka”. This meant the “Leader of all precious stones”. Albeit called different names, all translations pointed to the same high and might of the Ruby.

Offerings to the Gods

It is common in many religions to offer the best of the best things to the Gods as offerings.

In Hinduism, gemstones and jewellery are often gifted to the Gods in the form of offerings in temples. These can be offerings as part of special ceremonies, or those that are stand-alone. It is thought that whoever gifts a small ruby to Lord Krishna as an offering, shall be reborn in the next life as a King. On the other hand, he/she who gifts an extravagant and large Ruby (or Rubies) shall experience rebirth as an Emperor.

The Curious Case of Rubies and Boiling Water

The origin of the Ruby in many legends is thought to be by a fire that occurred in Heaven i.e. a mighty lightening flash. As a result, Rubies came to possess immense heat and power.

Since many Rubies are glowing red in colour, this has also contributed to the spread of the legend as enlightened stones can hint at a glowing fire from within.

Due to such a quality of Rubies, it is thought that if you toss a Ruby into a bowl of water – it shall instantly come to a boil due to the heat and power of the Ruby.

While you can test for this legend at home, to test its authenticity, we urge you not to. The possibility of boiling water can be dangerous and alas, Rubies are far too lovely to be simply thrown in a bowl of water.

Have the Ruby adorn your ears instead with these gorgeous diamond drop earrings.

A Little to the Left

While it may sound odd to hear, it is thought by many that wearing the Ruby on the left has a variety of benefits.

From blessing the wearer with all sorts of health, wealth, and wisdom, it is thought to bring them the success they desire. Sort of like their own lucky charm in life, guiding them to good fortune.

This is not all, wearing the Ruby on the left is also thought to bring everyone happiness in their relationships. Promoting friendships and offering protection from enemies and foes. If you want all this for yourselves – wear the Ruby on a finger of the left hand in the form of a beautiful gold ring .

With nothing to lose and so much to gain, this legend is certainly worth a try.

Rubies in War

Since it was already believed that wearing Rubies on the left offered protection from enemies – it comes as no surprise that Rubies eventually marked their entrance into battlefields, in a way we could not have imagined.

Some wore the Ruby on the left as a way of showing invincibility against a difficult opponent. However, there were many who believed the protection power of the Rubies went as far as healing them. Thus, many soldiers actually inserted the Ruby inside their flesh and skin to remain protected throughout the battle.

It was said that these soldiers then became fiercer while fighting, and also gained a mighty resistance to wounds and injuries.

Is this all because of Rubies? Perhaps we shall never know.

Ruby the Predictor

As Rubies symbolize wisdom and good fortune, many believe that Rubies hold the power of prediction. They can sense when any disaster or calamity is near, and immediately change colour. For example, they are thought to grow dull as disaster approaches.

While we may not know of the authenticity of the legends of the King of Gemstones, we can certainly vouch for the beauty it beholds.

With their breathtaking crimson hue and mystical origins, rubies have captivated humans for centuries. Steeped in history, these precious colored stones have not only been sought after by European royalty, but they were mentioned in the Bible, worn by ancient Burmese warriors in battle, and offered to the Hindu gods as a means of improving karma. In Sanskrit, the ruby is called Ratnaraj or King of Precious Stones. Many of these early cultures were drawn to how the stone’s color resembled blood, in turn believing rubies held the power of life.

The source of the world’s finest rubies is Burma, or present-day Myanmar, and for more than 800 years the Mogok Stone Tract mine has produced the most beautiful examples thanks to the unique geological conditions. The so-called “Pigeon’s Blood” stones—which boast a slightly purplish or pinkish color with a glowing red fluorescence—are the top grade and often hail from this area. “Exceptional examples of ‘Pigeon Blood rubies’ are even more rare, as are those that possess a rich and seductive even color, strong saturation and liveliness” says Susan Abeles, head of jewelry at Phillips. “It is no surprise why these rubies are among the most coveted gemstones.”

A historic map of the Mogok Stone Tract in Burma.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF WIKICOMMONS

Rubies command higher prices per carat than any other gemstone apart from colored diamonds and are known to send auction rooms into a frenzy. “A truly exceptional ruby will have three key characteristics,” says Sotheby’s Jessica Wyndham, head of jewelry sales for Europe. “First of all the color has to be a pure, vivid red with good saturation, and secondly the stone has to be relatively free from inclusions so that it is as close to being flawless as possible; and then finally size is important, as most rubies form as small crystals it is rare to find gem-quality rubies over ten carats.”

“Gem quality rubies are the hardest stone to find and command the highest price,” says Daphne Lingon, head of jewelry, Christie’s Americas. “Ruby is the red variety of corundum—as sapphire is for blue. It is quite a bit rarer than the blue gems. The rarity combined with the demand for rich red gems keeps the price very high.”

Some of the most important stones have stories that may well outlast those of their owners. Below, a selection of the most incredible rubies to have hit the block at auction.

The Sunrise Ruby
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S

1. Cartier ‘The Sunrise Ruby’

This extremely rare ruby-and-diamond ring weighing 25.59 carats sold at Sotheby’s for $30.3 million in 2015. It boasts a trio of world records: highest auction price for a ruby, highest price per carat for a ruby ($1.2 million per carat), and Cartier’s most expensive gemstone. “In over 40 years, I cannot recall ever having seen another Burmese ruby of this exceptional size possessing such outstanding color,” said David Bennett, the worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s international jewelry division.

The Jubilee Ruby
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHRISTIE’S

2. The Jubilee Ruby

Weighing 15.99 carats and set in a distinctive gold-and-diamond mounting by Verdura, the Jubilee Ruby fetched $14.2 million at Christie’s New York in 2016. (This equates to $885,000 per carat.) “At the time it was the important ruby to be offered for sale in the U.S. in over 25 years,” says Daphne Lingon, head of jewelry at Christie’s America. One of the main reasons that Burmese rubies are so valuable is because of their extremely saturated color and their natural fluorescence, which allows the stone to appear to glow from within.

The Graff Ruby
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S

3. The Graff Ruby

The esteemed London luxury jeweler Laurence Graff has paid a record 8.2 million Swiss francs ($8.6 million) for a Burmese ruby, the top lot at a Sotheby’s Geneva auction. Graff, known as the “King of Diamonds,” was buying the ruby of 8.62 carats for the second time, having acquired it first at an auction eight years earlier. He had named the ‘pigeon-blood’ gemstone the “Graff Ruby” at the time. “This is the finest ruby in the world. We are very proud to have it in our possession for the second time,” Graff said.

The Dupont Ruby
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHRISTIE’S

4. The Dupont Ruby 

The Dupont Ruby is a brooch accompanied by emeralds, diamonds and natural pearls mounted on platinum and 18k gold. “This exceptional stone of 11.20 carats was offered in our NY December 2019 Magnificent Jewels auction and had originally belonged to Mrs. Jessie Ball Dupont,” says Daphne Lingon of Christie’s. “It was offered on behalf of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to benefit their future acquisitions fund and sold for $8.9 million or $799,000 per carat.”

Ruby and diamond brooch/hair ornament, Bachruch
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’

5. Ruby and diamond brooch/hair ornament, Bachruch, circa 1900

A stunning diamond bow brooch featuring a 6.89-carat Burmese ruby, given to Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria by her father to mark the births of her two sons was featured in the Royal Jewels from the Bourbon-Parma Family auction at Sotheby’s Geneva, November 2018. It fetched $372,304.

The Crimson Flame
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHRISTIE’S

6. The Crimson Flame

This exceptional Burmese ruby-and-diamond ring of 15.04 carats known as ‘The Crimson Flame,’ with near perfect crystallization and a ‘pigeon blood’ red color, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2015 for just under $18.5 million. “This extraordinary pigeon-blood ruby of 15.04 carats was sold for a world record price per carat in our Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels sale achieving $18.3 million or $1.22 million per carat,” says Lingon.

Elizabeth Taylor Ruby and Diamond Necklace
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHRISTIE’S

7. Ruby and Diamond Necklace Owned by Elizabeth Taylor

“The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor” auction in December 2011 was a historic moment for the auction world. Towards the end of the evening session in which many of the screen legend’s most iconic jewels were sold, a suite of ruby and diamond jewelry by Cartier was offered in three consecutive lots. All by Cartier, they were gifts to the screen legend from her then-husband, Mike Todd, and all featuring diamonds with rubies mined in Burma that showed no evidence of heat.

Faidee Red Emperor ruby-and-diamond necklace.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S

8. Faidee Red Emperor ruby-and-diamond necklace

The Faidee Red Emperor ruby-and-diamond necklace features 60 rubies weighing 104.51 carats amassed over four generations of the family-owned Faidee jewelry house. It sold for nearly $10 million at a Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction in April 2014.

Queen Victoria’s Ruby and Diamond Brooch
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHRISTIE’S

9. Queen Victoria’s Ruby and Diamond Brooch

Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, granddaughter to Queen Victoria, treasured her ruby-and-diamond suite, including the ruby-and-diamond brooch, which was offered at Christie’s Geneva in May 2016. In her journal, Queen Victoria recalls received the set from Prince Albert in 1849. This brooch was set with a ruby weighing 4.5 carats, originating from Burma and showing no clarity or color enhancement.

From GALERIE MAGAZINE

Ruby is the most valuable variety of the corundum mineral species, which also includes sapphire. Rubies can command the highest per-carat price of any colored stone. This makes ruby one of the most important gems in the colored stone market.

In its purest form, the mineral corundum is colorless. Trace elements that become part of the mineral’s crystal structure cause variations in its color. Chromium is the trace element that causes ruby’s red, which ranges from an orangy red to a purplish red.

The strength of ruby’s red depends on how much chromium is present—the more chromium, the stronger the red color. Chromium can also cause fluorescence, which adds to the intensity of the red color.

The most renowned rubies, like those from Myanmar, the Himalayas, and northern Vietnam, typically form in marble. They’re found in layers that are distributed irregularly within the surrounding marble. Marble forms as part of the metamorphic (rock-altering) process, when heat and pressure from mountain formation act on existing limestone deposits.

Marble has low iron content, so the rubies that originate in marble (called “marble-hosted” by gemologists) lack iron. Because of this, many have an intense red color.

In addition, rubies found in marble typically fluoresce red under ultraviolet light—even the ultraviolet light in sunlight. Fluorescence can make a ruby’s color even more intense and increase its value.

In other locations, rubies can be found in basalt rocks. Rubies from these sources can have higher iron content, which can make the rubies darker and less intense in color. Higher iron content in the chemical makeup of a ruby can also mask the red fluorescence, eliminating that extra glow of red color seen in marble-hosted rubies.

History and Lore

Red is the color of our most intense emotions—love and anger, passion and fury. It’s associated with objects of power and desire—like fast cars and red roses. Early cultures treasured rubies for their similarity to the redness of the blood that flowed through their veins, and believed that rubies held the power of life.

Ruby is one of the most historically significant colored stones. Rubies are mentioned four times in the Bible, in association with attributes like beauty and wisdom. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, ruby is called ratnaraj, or “king of precious stones.”

In the first century AD, the Roman scholar Pliny included rubies in his Natural History, describing their hardness and density. Ancient Hindus believed that those who offered fine rubies to the god Krishna were granted rebirth as emperors.

Hindus divided ruby into four castes, calling the true Oriental ruby a Brahmin. Someone in possession of a Brahmin was believed to have the advantage of perfect safety.

Ruby has accumulated a host of legends over the centuries. People in India believed that rubies enabled their owners to live in peace with their enemies. In Burma (a ruby source since at least 600 AD—now called Myanmar), warriors possessed rubies to make them invincible in battle. However, it wasn’t enough to just wear the rubies. They had to insert them into their flesh and make them part of their bodies.

The name ruby comes from the Latin word ruber, which means “red.” The glowing red of ruby suggested an inextinguishable flame burning in the stone, even shining through clothing and able to boil water.

Ruby has been called the most precious of the 12 stones created by God.

Ruby retained its importance with the birth of the western world and became one of the most sought-after gems of European royalty and the upper classes. Many medieval Europeans wore rubies to guarantee health, wealth, wisdom, and success in love.

Desire for ruby is just as great today as it always has been. As a symbol of passion, ruby makes an ideal romantic gift. Consumers are drawn to the lush color because it also signifies wealth and success.

Ruby is one of the most historically significant colored stones. Rubies are mentioned four times in the Bible, in association with attributes like beauty and wisdom. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, ruby is called ratnaraj, or “king of precious stones.”

In the first century AD, the Roman scholar Pliny included rubies in his Natural History, describing their hardness and density. Ancient Hindus believed that those who offered fine rubies to the god Krishna were granted rebirth as emperors.

Hindus divided ruby into four castes, calling the true Oriental ruby a Brahmin. Someone in possession of a Brahmin was believed to have the advantage of perfect safety.

Ruby has accumulated a host of legends over the centuries. People in India believed that rubies enabled their owners to live in peace with their enemies. In Burma (a ruby source since at least 600 AD—now called Myanmar), warriors possessed rubies to make them invincible in battle. However, it wasn’t enough to just wear the rubies. They had to insert them into their flesh and make them part of their bodies.

The name ruby comes from the Latin word ruber, which means “red.” The glowing red of ruby suggested an inextinguishable flame burning in the stone, even shining through clothing and able to boil water.

Ruby has been called the most precious of the 12 stones created by God.

Ruby retained its importance with the birth of the western world and became one of the most sought-after gems of European royalty and the upper classes. Many medieval Europeans wore rubies to guarantee health, wealth, wisdom, and success in love.

Desire for ruby is just as great today as it always has been. As a symbol of passion, ruby makes an ideal romantic gift. Consumers are drawn to the lush color because it also signifies wealth and success.

Ruby is the most valuable variety of the corundum mineral species, which also includes sapphire. Rubies can command the highest per-carat price of any colored stone. This makes ruby one of the most important gems in the colored stone market.

In its purest form, the mineral corundum is colorless. Trace elements that become part of the mineral’s crystal structure cause variations in its color. Chromium is the trace element that causes ruby’s red, which ranges from an orangy red to a purplish red.

The strength of ruby’s red depends on how much chromium is present—the more chromium, the stronger the red color. Chromium can also cause fluorescence, which adds to the intensity of the red color.

The most renowned rubies, like those from Myanmar, the Himalayas, and northern Vietnam, typically form in marble. They’re found in layers that are distributed irregularly within the surrounding marble. Marble forms as part of the metamorphic (rock-altering) process, when heat and pressure from mountain formation act on existing limestone deposits.

Marble has low iron content, so the rubies that originate in marble (called “marble-hosted” by gemologists) lack iron. Because of this, many have an intense red color.

In addition, rubies found in marble typically fluoresce red under ultraviolet light—even the ultraviolet light in sunlight. Fluorescence can make a ruby’s color even more intense and increase its value.

In other locations, rubies can be found in basalt rocks. Rubies from these sources can have higher iron content, which can make the rubies darker and less intense in color. Higher iron content in the chemical makeup of a ruby can also mask the red fluorescence, eliminating that extra glow of red color seen in marble-hosted rubies.

(From GIA)

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