Sparkling Rubies for Your Valentine

Ruby, the color of velvet-red roses, passion, and romantic love: the color of the blood shed by men for their possession, the color of the flag you don't want to wave at the bull. Rubies are one of the rarest, and most expensive of all the birthstone gems. Treasured by collectors, adornment of crowned heads, believed to possess mystical powers - men have fought and died for rubies.

The ruby, according to modern usage, is the birthstone of July. This shimmering red stone seems to hold the very heat of the summer in its shining depths. When a beam of yellow-green light is passed through the ruby, the gemstone emits a red glow, a property that led to the development of the first laser, which used a ruby crystal to focus and emit the red beam.

The ruby is a variety of the mineral corundum, or aluminium oxide . The red color is comes from by the presence of chromium in the gemstone, which gives it a pink to blood-red color. The ruby's name comes from the Latin word for red.

Rubies are composed of the same mineral as Sapphires. In fact, all other varieties of gem-quality corundum are referred to and categorized as sapphires - only it's rarely occurring red form is given a different designation. The ruby is one of the four precious gem stones, together with the sapphire, the emerald, and the diamond.

Prices of a ruby is mainly determined by its color. The brightest and most valuable, called pigeon blood rubies command a huge premium over others of a similar quality. The second quality to determine value, is the ruby's clarity. A clear stone will be considered the most valuable, but a ruby without any inclusions may have been been treated to reduce the rutile or thread-like shining flaws in the stone. Most lower quality ruby gemstones are commonly treated with heat to reduce silk or rutile inclusions.

When a six-pointed version of this inclusion occurs in a jewelry-quality gemstone, the ruby will be cut and polished in a cabochon setting to show off this rare but beautiful "flaw" - the same flaw or inclusion that creates a Star Sapphire in the blue form of this mineral.

Rubies will often reflect secondary colors in their makeup, depending on slight variations in their mineral content - usually a secondary color note of a pink, orange or purplish tinge.

Rubies were traditionally set in yellow gold, which intensifies the red color of the gemstone. This is especially beneficial when the rubies exhibit a purplish secondary tone. Yellow and purple are opposite each other on the color wheel, so the rich yellow gold of the setting neutralizes the purple tinge of the stone, clarifying and enhancing its rich, red hue.

Pigeon's blood rubies from Burma, home of some of the finest rubies ever mined, are the very stuff of legends. Ruby amulets are said to bring health, wealth, grant all your desires in love, and to bring good luck to gamblers.

In Burmese legend, the ruby was called a hallowed stone, fashioned from fire and the blood of Mother Earth. It was believed to make warriors who wore the stone unconquerable in battle.

Rubies were found in early Etruscan jewelry as early as 300 B.C., and was a staple adornment of early, and very wealthy Greeks and Romans.

According to ancient oriental beliefs, the ruby was called the gem of the sun. In ancient Sanskrit texts, the ruby is named the king of gems. The Star Ruby was said to offer protection from witchcraft.

The Bible referred to all red gemstones as carbuncles. Indeed many stones that were originally thought to be rubies have been discovered to be Spinels or Garnets, with the advent of modern chemical testing.

According to Josephus (A.D. 37-95), the breastplate worn by the high priest of the temple, Aaron's Breastplate, embodied miraculous powers. In it were set twelve gemstones, which represent the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and the twelve angels who guard the gates of Paradise. As well, the gems were arranged in four rows to represent the four seasons. The ruby, or carbuncle as it was called in the Bible, is set in the first row of the breastplate and is associated with Saint Matthew.

Evidence of ruby mining can be traced back as early as 2500 B.C. in Burma, which was for centuries the world's main supplier of ruby gemstones. The pigeon's blood ruby from Burma, so named for its brilliant and deep red coloration, has always been the most highly valued of these amazingly beautiful stones - the "gold standard" of rubies, if you will.

Rubies have also been mined more recently in Thailand, Cambodia, and Afghanistan, since the second World War . Recently, the receding ice has revealed significant ruby deposits in Greenland, and since 2000, large deposits have also been uncovered in Kenya and Mozambique.

There have been rubies found in the United States, in Montana, and North and South Carolina, but these are not in sufficient quantities to be considered significant finds.

My grandmother once possessed a lovely Burmese ruby ring of which she was inordinately proud. My grandfather had given it to her, and when it went missing she mourned its loss for many years. We never did find out what happened to the ring.

It was a lovely stone, though - deep red and lustrous. Its disappearance became one of those family mysteries - the kind best left unsolved, I think. Perhaps one day, it will figure in the plot of some future detective novel.

July's Birthstone

Not only is the ruby widely accepted as the birthstone for the month of July, it is also the gem and color for a Fortieth Wedding Anniversary celebration. How fortunate such an occasion would be, and how felicitous to present a gift of rubies to the happy bride of forty years.

For those with slightly less ready cash, a gift of ruby glass-ware, or a red silk scarf would be equally as well received.

In China, red, the color of rubies, has traditionally been associated with fire, and symbolizes good fortune and joy. During Chinese holidays or on other special occasions, gifts of money are given in red envelopes. The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck. Because red is the traditional color of joy and happiness, it is forbidden at funerals.

If you are lucky enough to be July born, wearing rubies is said to bring you even more fortune and prosperity than those born in other months. One of the most expensive of the four precious gemstones, rubies are even prized above diamonds. A well cut ruby of high quality will bring a higher price than a diamond of similar weight and quality.

Though a ruby may not help you find your true love, the gift of ruby jewelry is certainly appropriate on a birthday, or any special occasion, but most especially on St. Valentine's Day - a day devoted to love, happiness, and the color red. As well, a ruby birthstone set in a family ring or pendant makes a lovely and thoughtful gift for Mom, Granny, or your favorite auntie. Family rings also make a touching gift to exchange among sisters on Valentine's Day - a treasured reminder of the special days and memories that bind you together.

...and what better way to say, "I love you," than with a beautiful ruby heart pendant?

© 2011 Text by Elle Fredine, All rights reserved