“Ruby red.” From grapefruit to nail polish and from lipstick to Dorothy’s slippers, this term is simply iconic, and for good reason. Ruby conjures up an image of deep, luscious red for us because rubies are a beautifully saturated red gemstone.
We love rubies, which add a beautiful pop of color to a neutral outfit! They are perfect to wear at Valentine’s Day, shine alongside sapphires and pearls for a patriotic look and look beautiful layered with emeralds at Christmastime. Any way you slice them, rubies are a must-have for your jewelry wardrobe. And we have several options below for you for some everyday wear designs featuring rubies. Looking for a fine ruby gemstone? Send us an email – we LOVE doing custom work and sourcing beautiful stones for them!
Did you know that rubies can command the highest price per carat of any colored stone? It’s true! In 2015, a 25.59 carat ruby sold for a whopping $1,266,901 per carat, setting a new record for a colored gemstone at auction.
Rubies were also instrumental in the invention of lasers, which were first created in 1960 using the red fluorescence light emitted by a ruby!
Rubies are mentioned four times in the Bible in association with attributes like beauty and wisdom and the Sanskrit word for ruby (ratnaraj) translates to “king of precious stones.” Ruby has been called the most precious of the 12 stones created by God.
Rubies are a variety of the mineral series corundum, just like sapphire. Corundum is actually colorless in a pure form, so it is the trace elements in the stone that give it the color. The trace element chromium is responsible for ruby’s red color. Rubies can range from an orange-red to a purplish red in color, called “pigeon’s blood” in the trade. Rubies come from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), the Himalayas, North Vietnam and Mozambique and can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. Rubies often form in marble, and these are considered among the higher quality stones, due to the lack of iron in them. They can also form in in basalt rocks, but these stones contain more iron, which can make them darker (less intense color) and can mask the red fluorescence that adds to their value. In fact, fine rubies will glow with a gorgeous, intense red in sunlight, due to their fluorescence. On the Mohs scale of hardness, rubies rank in at a 9 out of 10, second only to diamond.
Clockwise from top left: Simplicity Necklace in Ruby, White Baroque Pearl Candy Cluster Earrings, Station Necklace in Ruby, Bar Necklace in Ruby and Catalina Earrings in Ruby
Whether you’re looking for necklaces to layer or earrings to compliment your outfit, we have you covered. Our Simplicity Necklace and our Station Necklace are classics that look amazing alone, layered up or with a pendant slid on them! Our Bar Necklace is sweet, delicate and a perfect small pop of color. Our Catalina Earrings are always a classic favorite and look amazing in EVERY color (though we are very partial to those shown above!) and our White Baroque Pearl Candy Cluster Earrings with rubies and sapphires dancing atop them are fabulous with every outfit! Shop our July birthstone collection here.
If you’re looking for a high quality fine ruby piece, let us know via email. We would LOVE to help you source the perfect stone and come up with the perfect custom design!
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