| Ruby: Introduction | | | | purple. And the saturation (also called the purity or |
| Red is the color of love, passion, vivacity, | | | | intensity) describes how well the gem has been |
| exuberance, and power. It is also the color of one | | | | saturated with the red colors and how free it is |
| of the most beautiful gemstones in the world -the | | | | from any brown or grey colors. Unlike diamonds |
| ruby. The ruby is known to be the July birthstone | | | | which has different color-grading systems, rubies |
| and is the stone given on the 15th and 40th | | | | lack a convenient method to characterize their |
| marriage anniversaries to provide happy couples a | | | | color. This is due to the extreme range of tone, |
| long prosperous marriage. In ancient times the | | | | hue, and saturation in rubies. Judging the best color |
| ruby is known as the "king of gems". The ruby | | | | is based on the "eye of the beholder". Most |
| has everything a precious stone would need- | | | | people believe that the rubies from the mines of |
| magnificent color, excellent hardness, and | | | | Burma hold the greatest color of rubies. These |
| outstanding brilliance. The color of a ruby can | | | | rubies are called the Burmese Ruby or "Pigeons |
| range from fiery orange red to a deep purple red. | | | | Blood" ruby. |
| Large rubies are hard to find, which make them | | | | Ruby: Cut |
| rare, in some cases could be more valuable than a | | | | The best ruby cuts offer a depth/width ratio |
| diamond of the same size. | | | | higher than comparable diamond cuts. These cuts |
| Ruby: History | | | | are 65% - 80% for good quality rubies. If the |
| The ruby derives its name from the Latin word | | | | ruby is cut too deep, it will make the stones look |
| ruber which is a name that is based on its red | | | | smaller than it is but it will show off more color |
| color. Like many other gemstones the ruby has | | | | than cut in normal proportions. These deep cut |
| been used as a talisman to cure and protect. | | | | stones also preserve weight, increasing the cost |
| People in ancient times believed that rubies, if | | | | of the stone. Stones that are too shallow will look |
| grounded into fine powder placed on the tip of | | | | bigger in weight will look larger than it is and will |
| the tongue were thought to have healing abilities | | | | appear lighter in color. |
| for the blood as well as the heart. Many ancient | | | | It is hard find a perfectly cut ruby anywhere. This |
| cultures thought that wearing a ruby jewelry or | | | | is because of two reasons. One reason that it is |
| under their skin will protect the user in battle. This | | | | hard to find a perfect cut ruby is hard to find is |
| is because of the ruby's blood-like color. The | | | | that since rubies are so precious and rare; there is |
| Hindus and Greeks believed that the ruby's color | | | | tentativeness to cut the necessary amount, |
| came from fire being trapped in the stone. They | | | | during faceting process. Another reason why a |
| tried using rubies to boil water and even melt | | | | perfect cut ruby is hard to find is that natural |
| wax. | | | | rubies when formed from the Earth's crust are |
| Famous Rubies | | | | shaped in an octahedral shape, which is usually |
| It is stated that flawless rubies mined from | | | | wide and flat. This is why most ruby jewelry very |
| Burma are valued at millions of dollars. Although | | | | shallow. |
| these mines generate outstanding rubies, it rarely | | | | Ruby: Enhancements |
| generates rubies more than a few carats in | | | | Improving the quality of gemstones is common |
| weight. The Smithsonian's National Museum of | | | | practice in the industry. The most common |
| Natural History in Washington carries the largest | | | | practice of ruby enhancement is heat treatment. |
| Burmese ruby known to date. The 23.1 carat, | | | | Most, if not all rubies in the lower end markets |
| Burmese ruby called the Carmen Lucia ruby is set | | | | are heat treated in order to enhance the color |
| inside a platinum ring with diamonds, was donated | | | | and remove the blue patches on it. Heat |
| by a businessman and philanthropist in memory of | | | | treatment used to be done with simple tools such |
| his wife. | | | | as a blow-pipe and charcoal burner. Today heat |
| The largest said ruby in the world is owned by | | | | treatment is done using chemicals such as |
| the Beijing Fugui Tianshi Jewelry Co. Ltd. This ruby | | | | beryllium, borax, lead and tantalum. The |
| weighed in at 8184g (over 18 pounds) and | | | | temperature for heat treatment reaches |
| measures in at 5.11 X 5.43 X 5.70 inches in size. | | | | temperatures over 1800 degrees Celsius (3300 |
| Other notable rubies are the Edwardes ruby | | | | Fahrenheit). Occasionally, the stress from heat |
| (167ct), which resides in the British Museum of | | | | treatment used to enhance the color will create |
| Natural History, the Rosser Reeves star ruby | | | | fractures over time and may need to be repaired. |
| (138.7ct), which resides in the Smithsonian | | | | Another process for enhancing rubies, which is a |
| Institution, and the De Long star ruby (100 ct) in | | | | less acceptable method, is glass filling. This process |
| the American Museum of Natural History. | | | | is done by filling the fractures inside the ruby with |
| Ruby: What is it made of? | | | | lead glass, which will dramatically improve the |
| Ruby is of the corundum species which consists | | | | transparency of the stone. If color needs to be |
| of the ruby and sapphire. The corundum next to | | | | added, glass powder with copper or other |
| the diamond is one of the hardest substances on | | | | elements such as sodium, calcium, potassium, etc |
| Earth. On the Moh's scale it registers as a 9, which | | | | are treated with the ruby. Glassing filling, if done |
| comes second to diamond. Pure corundum is | | | | correctly can actually make the ruby more |
| colorless and only red corundum can be | | | | durable. |
| considered as a ruby. All other color of corundum | | | | Ruby: Synthetic/Imitation |
| is considered a sapphire. Corundum is formed in | | | | Because the ruby was so sought after, it was the |
| igneous rocks that are relatively high in aluminum, | | | | first gemstone to be made artificially. The first |
| but very low in silicon and in metamorphic | | | | ever documented attempt of synthetic ruby was |
| environments with similar chemistry. In order for | | | | made by French chemist Marc A. Gaudin. He |
| corundum to become a ruby, there must be | | | | created synthetic rubies by fusing aluminum at |
| certain minerals present in the rocks. Slight traces | | | | high temperatures and using chromium as a |
| of elements such as chrome, iron, titanium or | | | | pigment. The first ever synthetic ruby was |
| vanadium are responsible for the reddish color. | | | | created in 1902 by another French chemist, |
| Ruby: Color | | | | Auguste Victor Louis Verneuil using the flame |
| Just like emeralds, the ruby's color is the most | | | | fusion process. The process was done by melting |
| dominant feature. The color of a ruby can range | | | | the ruby into fine powder using an |
| from fiery orange red to a deep purple red. As | | | | oxygen-hydrogen flame and then crystallizing it |
| previously mentioned the ruby is of the corundum | | | | into what is called a boule. This process is |
| class and only red corundum can be classified as a | | | | considered to be the founding step in modern |
| ruby. All other colors are sapphire. | | | | crystal growth technology and is still widely used |
| There are three components that a ruby is | | | | today. Rubies created using flame fusion are |
| measured by. These are tone, hue, and saturation. | | | | commonly used in bearings or mundane jewelry |
| The tone is a measure of the deepness of the | | | | like high school class rings. Other processes of |
| red color. It describes whether the red is dark, | | | | creating synthetic rubies are done by pulling |
| medium, or light. Medium to medium-dark are | | | | process, flux process, and hydrothermal process. |
| considered the best tone of red. The hue | | | | Flame fusion is more widely used compared to |
| describes the slight presence or hue of other | | | | the other processes because of the low cost |
| colors. The basic hues of the ruby are: red, slight | | | | involved in processing. |
| orange, strong orange, slight purple, and strong | | | | |