July's Birthstone - The Ruby

Ruby Gemstone

Every wonder what July’s birthstone is?  Well wonder no more:  it’s the ruby!  How did the ruby become July’s birthstone?  Well, like all birthstones they were derived from Aaron’s Breastplate and coincide with the 12 signs of the Zodiac.  Why Ruby’s were selected for July is unknown (let us know if you know why!), but Ruby’s are said to provide health, wisdom, wealth, and success in love, and this may be why the ruby was selected as July’s birthstone:  the vibrant nature of the summer season.

We are know that diamonds are judged by the 4 Cs:  color, carat, clarity, and cut, and  ruby’s are judged the same way, with Color being the most important aspect of a ruby’s value.   The most valuable rubies are blood red or “pigeon blood” red. (Are pigeon’s blood redder than other animals?  That’s a blog for another day!)  Next in terms of value are the carat (weight) and then the cut, with clarity rounding out the fourth “c”.

Rubies are almost as hard as diamonds:  they rank 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, with diamonds ranking 10.  Rubies are made of aluminum oxide with chromium replacing a small fraction of the aluminum ions.  The arrangement oxygen around the chromium is what makes those molecules absorb the yellow-green color spectrum and re-emit it as red….pretty neat!

Color imperfections, known as rutile needles, are found in every ruby, and this is what gemologists use to distinguish a real ruby from a synthetic one.  Rubies are generally heated before cutting, and almost all ruby jewelry pieces are heated, which slightly alters these needles.  Ruby’s that have excellent quality without ever having been heated are considered the highest quality.  Rubies are found in many counties, including the United States, but are mainly mined in Tanzania, Burma, India, and almost all countries in southeast Asia.  A final interesting fact about rubies:  the most expensive is called the Sunrise Ruby, which recently (May 2015) sold at auction for $30 million dollars.

So if you’re thinking about a gift for that July birthday, or just want to add to your collection, consider the beautiful ruby!  And to keep your ruby, and all of your jewelry, safe and secure, don’t forget the jewelry box!  Women’s jewelry boxes range from luxury jewelry boxes for the dresser top to large jewelry armoires for any size jewelry collection!

Noelle
www.chasingtreasure.com

Locking Jewelry Armoire