Ruby Gemstone Buyers Guide
The dramatic and rare Ruby is the birthstone for July and the 15th Anniversary stone, so what should you know before you buy...The Ruby is a type of Corundum like Sapphire. As a matter of fact all other colors of corundum are called sapphires except for the red ruby. Rubies are one of the hardest on the Mohs scale second only to diamonds and also like diamonds they are one of the rarest precious gems and the most expensive. This can lead to fakes and imposter stones for buyers to be aware of.
Rubies should have visible flaws...if you are looking at a translucent flawless ruby, you are looking at a simulated stone not an earth mind stone. Spinel is known as an imposter stone and it makes a great fake ruby, so make sure it has been checked.
So...finding large affordable rubies is not really possible but as with most things, jewelers were innovative in making smaller gems the star of the piece.
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This first ring above is a perfect example of using a cluster of smaller stones to create a ring with a big impact! The second image shows how the jewelry designer used intricate gold work and design in order to highlight the beautiful ruby.
Unlike other precious stones that come in multiple colors rubies are only red and they have very little variations in the blood red color they are known for. While bluer tones have a slightly higher value, the biggest color difference you will find is from a bluer purply red to a pinky red. Most importantly when it comes to color, like sapphires and emeralds, rubies color is thick not translucent and the darker the color the less translucent as you can see in the following examples.
(click images above for product information)
In the above examples you can see the pinkier ruby (left) has much more transusance than the darker blue tone rubies (right). This is the largest color variation you will ever find in rubies.
Above are two of my favorites on the left you will find this stunning ruby bow ring from 1944. On the right is a diamond ring with a ruby halo. To see all of our ruby jewelry go to Scotch Street Vintage Ruby Jewelry Collection or you can follow this link Scotch Street Vintage Gemstone Guides to see information on other gemstones. If you have any questions we are always happy to help you can contact us here.
Enjoy your July and talk to you soon - Lori