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.

Jewellery like choker, tiara, pendent, ear rings, 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 jewellery 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 jewellery is quiet expensive.

Ruby is rarely available since it is not mined much across the world. There are synthetic rubies too available in the markets, which are cheep but one has to decide the purpose of buy. If one is only interested in costume jewellery then a fake ruby is a wise investment. But for collectors and wearers of precious gemstones, a pure ruby is like a breath of fresh air.



By: Gen Wright

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