The modern word Ruby is derived from the ancient Latin term rubeus. Ruby has been the world’s most valued gemstone for thousands of years and is a popular item to manufacture Gemstone Jewelry. The most important factor in the value of a Ruby is color. Top qualities are as red as you can imagine—a saturated pure spectral hue without any overtones of brown or blue. The intensity of color in a fine Ruby is like glowing coal, probably the most intensely colored substance our ancestors ever saw. It is no wonder they ascribed magical powers to these fires that burned perpetually and never extinguished themselves.Rubies are readily available in sizes up to 2 carats, and because of their intense color and durability, they make excellent accent stones. Larger sizes can be obtained, but top-quality Rubies are rarer and more valuable than colorless diamonds—particularly in sizes above 5 carats. For instance, a 16-carat Ruby sold at auction for $227,301 at Sotheby’s in 1988. A 27.37-carat Burmese Ruby ring sold for $4 million at Sotheby’s in Geneva, Switzerland, in May 1995 (an astounding $146 per carat). In contrast, none of the D-color, internally flawless diamonds over 50 carats sold in the last decade can match this value per carat.
As the ultimate red gemstone, Rubies have symbolized passion and romance for centuries. Ruby is the birthstone for July and is also the recommended gem for couples celebrating their 15th and 40th wedding anniversaries. The enchanting red Ruby has long been said to evoke passion, strength, health, and courage. It was believed that wearing a fine red Ruby bestowed good fortune on its owner.
The most famous source of fine Rubies is Burma, where Ruby has been mined since pre-historic era: Stone Age and Bronze Age mining tools have been found in the mining area of Mogok. Rubies from the legendary mines in Mogok often have a pure red color, which is often described as “pigeon’s blood” although that term is more fanciful than an actual practical standard in the trade today. Burma also produces intense pinkish red Rubies which are also vivid and extremely beautiful. Many of the Rubies from Burma have a strong fluorescence when exposed to ultraviolet rays (like those in sunlight), which layers on extra color. Burmese Rubies have a reputation of holding their vivid color under all lighting conditions.
Fine Ruby Gemstones are also found in Thailand. Thai Rubies tend to be darker red in tone: a real red, tending toward burgundy rather than pink. Some Thai Rubies have black reflections, a phenomenon called extinction, which can make their color look darker than it really is. But Thai Rubies also can have a rich vivid red that rivals the Burmese in intensity. Sri Lankan Rubies can also be very beautiful. Sri Lankan stones are often pinkish in hue and many are pastel in tone. Some, however, resemble the vivid pinkish red hues from Burma.
Occasionally, a few fine top quality Ruby gemstones appear on the market from Afghanistan, Pakistan, or the Pamir Mountains of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The terrain in these areas has made exploration for gemstones very difficult, but someday they may produce significant quantities for the world market.
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