July gemstone ruby, gemstone meaning and history
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- Did you know that this beautiful red gemstone is family of the sapphire? Ruby only exists in red, but luckily for us in different shades of red from light to dark
- Ruby belongs to the zodiac signs Aries, Leo and Scorpio
- This beautiful red gemstone is the most precious of all color gemstones, even more expensive than the blue sapphire
- Color is also important for the meaning of gemstones. Red is the color of passionate love but also of aggression
- The gemstone meaning of this red stone is often associated with power, desire, health wisdom and success in love. It is therefore not surprising that the spiritual meaning of stones was and is also popular among kings and queens.
- In the ancient times it was believed that the meaning of ruby was the power of life because it has the same color of our blood
- In Sanskrit, the ruby is also called Ratnaraj: the king of the gems
- Legends, gemstone meaning and ruby. This red stone is frequently mentioned and one of the stories is that the people of India believed that the owner of a ruby was able to live in peace with his enemies. Or what to think of this gemstone meaning. The Burmese legend is that warriors put rubies in their bodies, because the gemstone made them invisible during a battle.
- Perhaps the most famous ruby is the Liberty ruby bell. It is the largest ruby ever found (8,500 crt). This ruby was carved in a bell or bell shape and surrounded by diamonds. Sadly, this beauty was stolen in Wilmington in 2011 and has never been found back.
- The ruby that turned out to be a spinel. The Black Prince's ruby balas is a red spinel that was thought to be a ruby. This cabochon cut spinel can be found in the British state crown just above the world famous Cullinan II diamond. A mistake at the time, we are talking about the 14th century where this stone first appeared, was not surprising as the gemstone identification was not nearly as advanced as it is today. And a red stone in this color was quickly mistaken for a ruby.
Looking for a piece of jewelry with ruby? View the Kiliaan Jewelry collection or read more in our blogs about the spiritual gemstone meaning.
Facts ruby
- Ruby has a hardness of 9 (diamond's hardest material has a hardness of 10)
If a ruby has many inclusions, the hardness can be slightly lower (8) but it is still a very hard stone that can be worn very well in jewelry and jewelry with a meaning.
- If the ruby is red / pink, it is often a fancy sapphire. A ruby is more expensive than a sapphire you can imagine that there is often a discussion whether the pinkish red stone is a ruby or a pink sapphire. Rule of thumb is if you see (pink) red in the stone, it is a ruby. If the stone looks more pinkish, chances are you have a pink sapphire in your hands. By the way, you also have beautiful pink sapphires
- Queen Maxima is a big fan of rubies, the royal Mellerio parure and the Peacock tail parure are regularly seen during official visits and balls
- Ruby is mentioned four times in the Bible, historically very special. This special stone is linked to wisdom and beauty
- The most valuable of the 12 stones created by God
- The name ruby is derived from the Latin word ruber which means red
- 23.10 ct red beauty, the Carmen Lucia ruby on display at the Smithsonian in Washington. The stone has a top color red, also called 'pigeon blood'. The Carmen Lucia is a Burmese ruby donated to the museum by Carmen Lucia Buck's widower, Dr. Peter Buck. Carmen Lucia wanted to buy the ring to celebrate her recovery from her illness. Unfortunately it did not come that far. To honor his wife and their love, he made a donation to the Smithsonian to get this special ruby. Special jewelry with meaning has been given an extra dimension.
- The burmese rubies are known for the top color (pigeon blood), in the top jewelery it adds to the value if the stone is a burmese ruby
- Sapphire and ruby are both varieties of the mineral corundum
- The different colors of the sapphire or fancy sapphire come from the different color agents like iron atoms in a pure corundum (iron for blue sapphire, chrome for ruby or vanadium for green sapphire).
