The July birthstone is a stunning deep red ruby that is quite unique. It’s one of the most popular gems known as the King of Stones. It’s probably not a surprise to hear that its color represents success, passion and love. Something many people may not know is that although it is a red color, there is also a little touch of purple in there. The color comes from the element chromium. The more chromium it has the more intense the red color is. Let’s look deeper into why this is such an amazing stone.
History
Rubies were originally sourced from Burma now known as Myanmar. It produced rubies that people craved. It was called rubeus in latin which translates to red. People believed these stones had magical powers. Warriors would put these rubies in their skin, yes, in their skin because they thought it would protect them and make them stronger. This idea stems from the fact that this stone is the hardest stone after the diamond of course. Some even believed it could cure diseases and boost devotion in relationships.
In ancient India, Hindus provided rubies to the gods because they believed they would be reborn as someone powerful like an emperor or king in their next life.
Later starting at the end of the 20th century other places like Vietnam were found to source these gemstones. Today miners in the rainforest and in Quy Chau search for these rubies in the hopes it would grant them a better life. Other locations include Thailand, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Afghanistan, and more. While all these places are known to have these rubies, not all are created the same. The Burmese stone is known as being the best quality stones.
It’s such a beautiful stone with such a rich and fascinating history. If you are thinking about buying one, you should.
Value
A ruby's worth depends on the carat and quality. Generally speaking each carat is worth $1,000. That’s where it starts but the cost will increase based on other factors like clarity, color, and weight. Rubies can be upwards of 100,000 per carat depending on those other factors.
Treatment
Rubies are typically treated to bring out the red color more. It also ends up being lightened making it more transparent but can be dyed to look richer. The process of doing this works on high quality stones. For those pieces that are lower quality they are filled with glass making the gem lighter in color. The problem with this is the gem is now fragile. Before you purchase make sure you know how it was treated. Look at the GIA identification report to know if the gem is synthetic or natural and the treatment done to it.
Care
When it comes to caring for your stone warm, soapy water is best. Don’t use any kind of acid as it can ruin them. Although rubies are durable they are not all the same. If you have fracture filled, cavity-filled, or dyed stones then you only want to use a damp cloth to clean them. Be careful when cleaning rubies because you could damage them. Less is more when it comes to rubies.