July Birthstone Rings

 

Ruby, "the King of Gems" and birthstone for July, gets it's name because of its red color and is derived from the Latin word Rubeus, meaning red. It was discovered around 1800 that Ruby, as well as sapphire, belonged to the same mineral group, or species, called corundum. Prior to that date, both red spinel and garnet were thought to be, or were referred to, as Ruby. In fact, many of the most prominent red gemstones in England's Royal Jewels are magnificent red spinel's which, for years, were thought have been rubies. The red color in Ruby is derived from chromium and historically, the most desirable ruby color is denoted by the term "pigeons' blood". The red color of Ruby will vary from deposit to deposit, and it is, therefore, not possible to determine the source area of a Ruby based on its color. Ruby is mined throughout Southeast Asia and while the majority is found in Thailand and Myanmar (Burma), many exquisite gems also are found in Sri Lanka and Africa. The designation Burmese-ruby or Siam-ruby are trade names and refer more to color quality than to actual origin. Internal characteristics, or inclusions, are very common and while these inclusions are not necessarily indicative of lower quality, they may show the difference between natural and synthetic. Certain types of inclusions may also indicate the source area, or origin, of the gemstone.

Enhancements - As is the case with many colored gemstones, Rubies are routinely enhanced to improve their color and their clarity, the most notable being controlled heating. Many enhancement procedures are generally recognized and accepted throughout the jewelry industry, and, in most cases, these enhancements are irreversible, permanent, and will produce a gemstone that is more beautiful. One should be leery, however, of enhancement techniques that are not permanent. If you intend to purchase any fine colored gemstone you should deal with a jeweler who is geologically trained to explain the differences. 

Ruby the blood red colored gemstone is a rare beauty. Ruby is believed to be from the family of corundum. There are basically two types of corundum. One is ruby and the other is popularly known as sapphire. There are subcategories of sapphire too. Ruby is the red corundum which may be transparent or translucent and it is very hard. It is chemically aluminum oxide, and the red color is contributed by the presence of chromium oxide. The depth of the color may vary from medium to deep and the tone of the color may vary from red to deep red purple.

There are a few famous varieties available in the market. Of all of them Burmese ruby is considered to the most expensive and rare. It is deep red in color with a touch of blue commonly referred to as pigeon's blood and is a very fine variety of ruby. There are Sri-Lanka rubies too. These semiprecious stones are mined on the Ceylon islands. They are bright red in color and very pure. The other category is of Thai rubies which are characterized by deep red color with brownish tones reflected in it and at times resemble the garnet. The last variety is of African rubies which are of purplish red color and are very small in size.

Ruby is a very precious buy and there are few factors to be considered before investing in them.

1. The foremost thing to be considered is the color of the stone. The deep red showing purplish overtones are considered to be more expensive than the one with brown overtones. Moreover, the rubies reflecting orange overtones should not be considered much.

2. The cut of the stone is another decisive factor and it should be as close to the original shape of the stone as possible. Cutting also decides the appraisal of the stone and therefore cutting flaws like striations and pitting should be as minimal as possible.

3. The weight, brightness, shape are the other few factors to be considered while judging the stones.

 

Jewelry like choker, tiara, pendent, earrings, necklace made in ruby are very exclusive. Rubies studded in silver and gold, look equally good and when ruby is used in combination with other gemstones then the sight is enthralling. The value of the jewelry made out of ruby depends a lot on the size of the gemstone and the material in which it is embedded. Consequently, the ruby with gold is costlier than ruby in silver. Similarly, if ruby is used in combination with other gemstones, then here too the price varies. Rubies are generally used in combination with diamond and this item of jewelry is quite expensive.