Rubies

Introduction
Ah, rubies! We all know that rubies are highly sought after jewels today, but did you know that royalty in various parts of the world have also had a "love affair" of sorts with this beautiful jewel for thousands of years? How do we know these facts? Well, references to rubies are noted in both the Bible and in ancient Sanskrit. But that still leaves us with the question: why have rubies been so popular for so long? Maybe it is due to the fact that individuals consider the ruby to be especially precious among stones because of their rarity, brilliant fire, and rich color. With these types of qualities, you know that regardless of the ruby you choose, you will definitely receive a piece of jewelry that you will surely cherish for a lifetime.

Perhaps its popularity is due to its rareness, brilliance, and the rich red color of this gem. The color red has symbolized many different things to various cultures. Some of the interpretations of the color red include courage, passion, power, fire, and royalty. With these types of associations, how can you not love both the color and the brilliance of a fine and rare ruby?

What exactly is a Ruby?
Rubies are the red variety of the material corundum. (Corundum available in other colors is known as a sapphire). The popular red color of rubies is actually derived from small amounts of chromic oxide in the corundum.

If you are looking for one of the more valuable and rare rubies in existence, expect to find a ruby that is purely saturated with no hints of other colors such as brown or purple. In general, the most prized rubies are those rubies with an intense red color, and a great deal of brilliance.

However, the more common rubies do vary in color from the traditional dark red to a more orange-red color or even a violet-red color. There are even some rubies that reflect light in such a way that they reveal a star-like pattern (also known as asterism). These types of rubies are often cut in the cabochon style to show off this particular pattern.