Happy Birthday, July babies! To celebrate your summer birthstone, we’re paying tribute to the romantic and luxurious ruby. Read on for fun and interesting facts about rubies:
- Ruby is the birthstone for July, as well as the astrological sign of Capricorn.
- Ruby is one of the four precious gemstones; the others are emerald, sapphire and diamond.
- Ruby is the red gem form of the mineral corundum, which has an absolute hardness of 400 (compared to diamonds which have an absolute hardness of 1600).
- Trace amounts of the element chromium is what gives rubies their red appearance.
- Blue corundum gems are called sapphires.
- Rubies in shades of pink are simply referred to as pink rubies.
- The finest rubies in the world were once found in Burma in South and Southeast Asia. Today, Burma is known as Myanmar.
- Flawless top-quality rubies are more valuable and rare than top quality colorless diamonds.
- The Sanskrit word for ruby is “ratnaraj” which roughly translates to “king of the gems.”
- The color of the pure red rubies from the mines of Mogok was sometimes referred to as “pigeon’s blood.”
- The most expensive ruby ever sold was a 25.59 carat cushion-shaped ruby ring set between shield-shaped diamonds. It sold in 2015 at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva for a reported $30.3 million.
- The American Museum of Natural History has the largest ruby in the world, which weighs around 4.6 grams.
- In ancient times, rubies were thought to give its wearer good health, wisdom, wealth, and success in love.
- The word red is derived from the Latin word, ruber.
- Almost all natural rubies are treated to improve their color and strength; this is standard practice and accepted by the American Gem Trade Association and Israel-Diamonds.
- At the end of The Wizard of Oz, Glinda the Good Witch of the North tells Dorothy she can return home to Kansas by clicking the heels of her magical ruby red slippers together three times and repeating the phrase, “There’s no place like home.”
- Theodore Maiman invented the world’s first laser, known as the “ruby laser” in 1960. This first generation laser was a solid-state type using a ruby crystal.
- Rubies are referenced four different times in the Bible—the Bible associates these gems with beauty and wisdom.
- According to ancient folklore, people of India believed rubies would help them be at peace with their enemies.
- High ranking Chinese mandarins were given rubies, as they were thought to provide guidance and teaching.
- In ancient times, ruby stones were kept under a building foundation, to strengthen its structure.
If you’re looking to buy rubies, either as a birthday gift for a loved one born in July, or just because you’re drawn to the lovely red gemstone of the month, Adina by Empire Jewelers has a beautiful collection of fine estate and vintage ruby jewelry, available at true wholesale prices. Shop online today and enjoy our vast selection of other fine estate and vintage jewelry, plus watches, diamonds, gold, sterling silver, coins and more. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
