Ceylon Ruby

Ruby is a red gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide)
in which the color is caused mainly by chromium. Its name originates from
ruber or rubrum, Latin for red. Natural rubies are exceptionally rare,
though artificial ones (sometimes called created ruby) can be manufactured
by the Verneuil process relatively inexpensively. Other varieties of
gem-quality corundum are called sapphires.

Rubies are mined in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Greenland. They are most
often found in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Madagascar and Thailand, though
they have also been found in the U.S. states of Montana, North Carolina and
South Carolina. The Mogok Valley in Myanmar has produced some of the finest
rubies. However in recent years very few good rubies have been found there.
In central Myanmar the area of Mong Hsu also produces rubies. In 2002 rubies
were found in the Waseges River area of Kenya. Rubies are being mined at
Audilamena in northeastern Madagascar. Sometimes spinels are found along
with rubies in the same geological formations and are mistaken for the more
valuable gem. However, fine red spinels may approach the average ruby in
value.

Rubies are generously represented in crowns and scepters in the royal jewels
of many nations. Ruby has acquired special attributes from its admirers over
the centuries. It has been regarded as a symbol of freedom, charity, dignity
and divine power. The Burmese believed that gemstones ripened like fruit.
The redder the color, the riper the ruby. A flawed ruby was considered over
mature. Large, gem quality rubies have always been very rare. The huge gems
described in medieval romances and oriental literature were most likely
exaggerated by the imaginations of ruby admirers and creative authors or
were actually garnets or spinels.

Ruby is the birthstone of July

Treatments - Heat and chemical treatments. Treatment of Ruby stones are
permanent.

History - The Burmese believed that "blazing red" stones could be found in a
"bottomless" valley. Natives threw pieces of meat into the valley, hoping
that some stones could then be recovered by killing the vultures. In the
Royal Collection of England, you can view a gold ring set with a pale but
nearly flawless ruby into which a portrait of Louis XII of France is carved.
According to Rebbenu Bachya, the word odem in the verse Exodus 28:17 means
"ruby"; it was the stone on the Ephod representing the tribe of Reuben.
Modern Hebrew has taken this meaning. [citation needed] Ruby is also the
most commonly named precious stone in the Bible; an example being Proverbs
31: "A virtuous wife is worth more than rubies.

Ruby gemstones are valued according to several characteristics including
size, color, clarity and cut. All natural rubies have imperfections in them,
including color impurities and inclusions of rutile needles known as silk.
If the silk inside of the stone is not there, then one could assume the
stone was heated at a temperature of 3000 degrees. This was done to give the
ruby a better color of red. Usually the rough stone is heated before
cutting. On the other hand, artificial rubies may have no imperfections. The
fewer the number and the less obvious the imperfections, the more valuable
the ruby is; unless there are no imperfections (i.e., a "perfect" ruby), in
which case it is suspected of being artificially made and its status as a
priceless gem is therefore not completely assured. Some manufactured rubies
have dopants added to them so that they can be identified as artificial, but
most require gemological testing to determine their origin.

Rubies come in various shades of red, red purple and red orange. A medium
toned red or red with slight blue is most desired. Clarity of the stone and
inclusions are also taken into account to determined the stones value. Once
the stones looks more toward the color purple or orange then it is called a
fancy sapphire.

Choosing a Ruby - The most important factor in the value of a ruby is color.
The top qualities are as red as you can imagine: a saturated pure spectral
hue without any overtones of brown or blue. The word red is derived from the
Latin word for ruby, ruber, which is derived from similar words in Persian,
Hebrew, and Sanskrit. The intensity of colour of a fine ruby is like a
glowing coal, probably the most intensely coloured substance our ancestors
ever saw. It is no wonder they ascribed magical powers to these fires that
burned perpetually and never extinguished themselves.

Besides color, other factors that influence the value of a ruby are clarity,
cut, and size. Rubies that are perfectly transparent, with no tiny flaws,
are more valuable than those with inclusions, which are visible to the eye.
Cut can make a big difference in how attractive and lively a ruby appears to
the eye. A well-cut stone should reflect backlight evenly across the surface
without a dark or washed-out area in the centre that can result from a stone
that is too deep or shallow. The shape should also be symmetrical and there
should not be any nicks or scratches in the polish. Rubies and other
gemstones are sold per carat, a unit of weight equal to one-fifth of a gram.
Larger rubies, because they are more rare, will cost more per carat than
smaller stones of the same quality.

The Ruby sometimes displays a three-ray, six-point star. These star rubies
are cut in a smooth domed cabochon cut to display the effect. The star is
most visible when illuminated with a single light source: it moves across
the stone as the light moves. This effect, called asterism, is caused by
light reflecting off tiny rutile needles, called "silk," which are oriented
along the crystal faces.

The value of star rubies and sapphires are influenced by two factors: the
intensity and attractiveness of the body colour and the strength and
sharpness of the star. All six legs should be straight and equally
prominent. Star rubies rarely have the combination of a fine translucent or
transparent color and a sharp prominent star. These gems are valuable and
expensive.

The most famous source of fine rubies is Burma, which is now called Myanmar.
The ruby mines of Myanmar date back to centuries ago: 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, sometimes
described as "pigeon's-blood", although that term is more fanciful than an
actual practical standard in the trade today. Myanmar also produces intense
pinkish red rubies, which are 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 colour. Burma rubies have
a reputation of holding their vivid colour under all lighting conditions.

Sri Lankan stones are often pinkish in hue and many are pastel in tone.
Some, however, resemble the vivid pinkish red hues from Burma. Rubies from
Kenya and Tanzania surprised the world when they were discovered in the
sixties because their color rivals the world's best. Unfortunately, most of
the ruby production from these countries has many inclusions, tiny flaws
that diminish transparency. Rubies from the African mines are rarely
transparent enough to facet. However, their fantastic color is displayed to
full advantage when cut in the cabochon style. A few rare clean stones of
top quality have been seen.

Occasionally a few fine, top-quality rubies 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.