All About Rubies

Ruby Facts

A ruby is a gemstone from the family known as the corundum family. It comes in a variety of colors from the light almost champagne hue to what is marcarbly called "pigeon’s blood", which is almost a pure red. Ruby is a hard gem just below diamond and is rated 9 on the mohs scale of hardness where diamond is 10 and talc is 1. Like many gemstones, rubies are often heat treated to improve the color and a well cut ruby can often approach a diamond in it's brilliance and sparkle.

Rubies are found in the asian and african countries predominently in Afghanistan,Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Kenya, Madagascar, Sri Lanka,Tanzania,Thailand,and Vietnam.

Rubies and sapphires come from the same family but the red ones are called rubies and the other colors in the corundum family are called sapphires.

The term ruby comes from the latin 'ruber', meaning red and in sanskrit the ruby is called the 'king of precious stones'.

During the course of history, rubies have been so highly prized and valued that they have, at times, reached a value over 7 times the value of diamonds.

Throughout history, rubies have been considered the 'King of Gems.' Treasured by royalty, religion, and various cultures, rubies have mesmerized the world with their beauty.

Rubies today are often considered a good investment for their beauty, value and hardness.