July Birthstone - Ruby
Rubies, the birthstone of July, are considered the king of gems and represent love, health and wisdom. It was believed wearing a fine red Ruby bestowed good fortune on its owner. A Ruby is the most valuable gemstone and its value increases based on its color and quality. Quite fascinating!
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. Chromium is the trace element that causes ruby’s red, which ranges from an orangy red to a purplish red.
Fun and Fascinating Facts About the Ruby:
The word ruby comes from the Latin term rubens, which means red.
Ruby is known as the stone of love. Earlier, women wearing rubies were thought to have been transformed into an aura of beauty.
Ruby is the third strongest stone in the world, after diamond and moissanite.
The best rubies are those that have a pigeon blood red color. However, rubies come in various shades of red, from light pinkish to maroon and even very dark red.
The finest rubies are the ones that are mined from Myanmar and until now, the country is one of the best sources of rubies.
The king of Burma (now Myanmar) was known as the ‘Lord of Rubies’, as he claimed all the rubies over 6 carats as his own.
In the Bible, ruby is the most commonly named precious stone.
High ranking Chinese mandarins were given rubies, as they were thought to provide guidance and teaching.
The Burmese believe that if a soldier keeps a ruby under the skin, he will become invincible; while the Hebrews believed that if a dragon was carved on a ruby, it would bring prosperity and health.
Hindus believe that wearing a ruby protects them from their enemies.
There are hardly any perfect rubies, as almost all the rubies have flaws. Those rubies that are flawless are even more expensive than diamonds.
The American Museum of Natural History has the largest ruby in the world, which weighs around 4.6 grams.
Rubies belong to the gem family called conundrum. This family also contains sapphires. The only difference between the two stones is the presence of chromium oxide in rubies.
In ancient times, ruby stones were kept under a building foundation, to strengthen its structure.
