Gemstone of the Month of July - Ruby

Ruby is the Birthstone for July. 

Ruby is also used as gifts to celebrate the 11th, 15th, 40th, 60th, and the 95th Anniversaries.

Ruby belongs the Corundum family of gems. Its sister stone, Sapphire, is also of this family. The chemical makeup of these two stones is identical Al₂O_3. What makes Ruby red are the very small traces of the element chromium.  Just so you know, by definition, Sapphire is any colour other than red. Only Ruby is red in the Corundum family.

 So where do Rubies come from?

90% of the world's rubies come from Myanmar which is the world's largest supplier.

Other sources are Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, and Afghanistan. 

What makes a good Ruby?

Rubies, just like other gems, come in varied degrees of perfection.  The most preferred colour of Ruby is a medium-dark Red.  However, the more included and less vibrant the colour the less expensive the stone.

As the stone becomes clearer, richer in colour, deep rich red – like pigeon blood - the grade quality goes up. Stones of excellent quality and size are rarer, therefore the price per carat will reflect this.

Ruby's interesting phenomenon 

One thing about Rubies are they are very interesting. When looking at them they can display different colours. Sometimes a bright red. Other times a purplish red or muddy red. No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you.  It is called pleochroism or being doubly-refractive.  This is where, the gem displays different colours as the beam of light is split into two beams within the stone, sending the light into two parts through the structure in different directions. Hence, seeing multiple colours. Interesting!  

 Let's make a story together

Chris and I believe in creating jewellery that tells a story.

Every piece of jewellery is personalized into something completely unique, making it a great gift for holidays and special occasions.  For commemorating milestones, or simply celebrating the people you love.

Have a Moment in Time to celebrate?

Let us help you to make your vision a reality.

Contact us

Carol Palko, Your Personal Jeweller