July - Ruby
July: Ruby
No other stone is
associated with royalty quite like the Ruby.
In Sanskrit, Rubies are called “Ratnaraj” which means “King of
Gemstones.” They are revered in the
Bible and in Sanskrit writings as being the most precious of all the
gemstones. In ancient India, whenever an exceptional Ruby
was uncovered, the Emperor would send out court members to meet the ruby and
welcome it into their community.
It is not difficult to see why Rubies have always been a
highly decorated gemstone. Rubies are
one of the toughest stones on the Mohs hardness scale, so they are very
durable. At the same time, they are
exceptionally brilliant and colorful stones.
The deep red of Rubies conjures up images of heat, passion, and love. The powerful feelings that Rubies evoke make
them a wonderful and meaningful gift.
The most important aspect of a Ruby is the color. Moderate amounts of inclusions do not affect
the price of a Ruby so much as the color will.
High quality Rubies are difficult to find; but large, high quality gems are quite rare and very expensive. Smaller sizes of Rubies can still be pricey
depending on the quality, but are not generally unaffordable.
Rubies come from all over the world. Mines are found in