Ruby Crystal. About Ruby View Gallery. Ratnaraj In Sanskrit, ruby is ratnaraj, meaning the king of gems. Treatments There are a number of processes used to alter the color, apparent clarity, or improve the durability of gems.

Learn More Synthetics Some gemstones have synthetic counterparts that have essentially the same chemical, physical, and optical properties, but are grown by man in a laboratory.

Learn More Imitations Any gem can be imitated—sometimes by manmade materials or by natural materials chosen by man to impersonate a particular gem. Learn More.

Cut Rubies are commonly fashioned as mixed cuts, which have brilliant-cut crowns and step-cut pavilions. Carat Weight Fine-quality rubies over one carat are very rare and price goes up significantly as size increases.

Read Article. Sorokina, Andrey K. For example, this gorgeous three-stone round cut ruby engagement ring features an 18k yellow gold setting.

The elegant, warm color of the setting really complements the rich, dark red of the ruby. Like other colored gemstones, they also look great in halo settings, which emphasize the rich color of the ruby center stone.

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Our experts can help you find the highest quality ruby jewelry for your budget. Before you buy a diamond, get personal buying advice from industry veterans.

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This website uses cookies. Find Out More. Star Ruby Caused by Inclusions. Michael Fried. Mike learned the diamond business from the ground-up at Leo Schachter Diamonds - one of the world's top diamond manufacturers.

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Tell us as much information as possible to help us help you ie, budget, preferences, etc Name First Last. Gem carvers can create intricate objects from this material.

This ruby-in-zoisite carving marshals all the colors in this material to create a wonderful, naturalistic underwater scene. Few other gems have as much myth, lore, and romance surrounding them as rubies.

Over the centuries, many cultures have associated them symbolically with wealth and power. One of their chief attractions was the protection from misfortune and illness they supposedly afforded their lucky owners.

However, many famous, genuine rubies have fascinating histories , too. Augsburg, Germany, ca Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York.

Public Domain. Stones from Myanmar tend to have purplish red colors. Thai stones tend to appear more brownish red.

Photo by Cliff. Licensed under CC By 2. Rubies fluoresce in long or shortwave ultraviolet light. Myanmar rubies often fluoresce so strongly that the effect is noticeable even in sunlight.

They literally seem to glow, and aficionados greatly admire them. If this rutile is sufficiently abundant and precisely arranged, proper cabochon cutting can create star rubies.

Today, there are heating and diffusion processes that can increase the rutile content and improve the star effect in such gems.

Inclusions can also help identify the source of a ruby. See our article on identifying the origins of rubies and sapphires for more information.

Lab-created ruby can be manufactured by several different methods, including flame fusion , the Czochralski process , flux , and hydrothermal.

Flux-grown ruby crystals. Corundum gemstones, both rubies and sapphires, were first synthesized in the late 19th century. In , the French chemist Auguste Verneuil published his work on the flame fusion process, still known today as the Verneuil vair-NAY process.

As a result, the production of synthetic rubies and sapphires skyrocketed. Verneuil synthetic ruby boules largest about 2 inches long.

Many jewelers and gemologists have had the unpleasant task of telling the proud inheritors of treasured heirloom ruby rings or brooches that they contain flame fusion stones with more sentimental than commercial value.

In recent years, researchers have developed more complex creation processes. These simulate natural formation conditions so closely that colors and even inclusions look extremely natural.

Such stones are difficult for all but the most highly skilled professionals to identify as synthetic. See our articles on identifying synthetic gemstones and identifying inclusions found in synthetic gems for more information.

Like diamonds, rubies have industrial applications, so scientists have manufactured rubies in large quantities and sizes for research purposes.

This ct synthetic ruby was cut from a huge crystal originally grown in the s for laser applications. Rubies have a long history of enhancement.

Unless the seller specifically states the stone is unheated, you should assume that some kind of heat treatment has been used.

Usually, high temperature heating and controlled cooling clarify the stones. This process dissolves silk rutile inclusions and can also improve color tone and saturation.

Such treatments can only be detected in stones whose residual inclusions show signs of heat stress. For more information on ruby enhancements, see our article on corundum treatments.

This natural, mined ruby has received both heat and glass filling treatments. Photo by Gemsphoto. Although Asia has historically been the major producer of ruby gems, there are many other sources including the United States, Australia, and, most recently, Africa.

Origin definitely affects the value of rubies. For more information on rubies from these and other parts of the world, see our article on identifying the origins of rubies and sapphires.

Many of these names are used by unscrupulous dealers to confuse inexperienced buyers. Generally speaking, any time the word Ruby is used with a prefix except for those outlined above , it is a fake or a less valuable red gemstone.

The red Garnet gemstone Pyrope is particularly vulnerable to be called Ruby with a tacky prefix. Rubies are often heat treated to improve color as well as burn out certain inclusion s.

It is common industry practice to heat treat Rubies, and untreated Rubies with excellent natural can be exceptionally valuable. A recent practice in the gemstone industry is to fracture-fill Rubies to conceal flaw s.

This is done by heating them in molten lead glass which has a very similar refractive index to Ruby gemstones.

Fracture-filled Rubies are significantly cheaper than their more authentic counterparts, and because of this one should always buy Ruby from a reputable dealer.

The center of Ruby gemstone trade is in Bangkok, Thailand. The Chantaburi Province in Thailand has always been an important source of Rubies, producing gems with excellent clarity but with less desirable browner tones.

However, the color of Thai Rubies are able to be improved by heat treatment. The Thai Ruby deposits were exhausted in the 's.

The most valuable Rubies with the finest natural color come from Mogok, Burma Myanmar. There are strict trade embargoes and restrictions again Burma for its human rights violations, and several countries, especially the United States, ban any exports from this county.

The Ruby mines of Mogok have been under the tight control of the Junta government; however, a new very significant Ruby source was discovered in Burma in in Mong Hsu.

The color of these Rubies aren't as good as Mogok, but they too can be improved through heat treatment. In , new Ruby sources were discovered in Madagascar in Vatomandry and Andilamena.

These deposits turned out to be very extensive and productive, and Madagascar is now one of the leaders in Ruby output.

North Carolina. Ruby is identical in appearance to Ruby Spinel. In fact, many old famous red gemstones thought to be Rubies were determined to actually be Spinel.