Ruby is the second hardest gemstone after a diamond and is easily the most popular red colored stone in the gemstone market. The word ruby comes from the Latin ‘ruber’ that means red. Rubies are mostly found in various shades of red, from rich darkish red to pigeon blood red and pinkish red accounting to the traces of chromium in its composition.
Rubies are the hardest ‘colored’ gemstones in the world and are only slightly softer than diamonds in case of toughness and rigidity. Rubies belong to the ‘corundum’ family of minerals and is believed to bring in health and wisdom to its owner. Due to its vivid color tone and high demand, rubies garner highest per-carat price for any colored stone in the world.
Occurrence and Properties of the July Birthstone
Natural formation of Rubies is a result of two distinct processes. Some rubies are extracted from marbled origins. Limestone ores deliver the perfect conditions for Ruby formation with excessive temperature and pressure. The minerals go through compositional transitions over the years to form an ideal flawless Ruby inside the earth’s crust. The ruby stone thus obtained is highly fluorescent and are remarkably expensive and rare.
The second type comes from basalt, which is a solidified form of lava. These rubies contain more iron content and therefore seem darker and less shiny when compared to marble-hosted rubies. These rubies are less costly but possess exceptional hardness and strength. They can be used for industrial grinding and cutting purposes where the only required criteria are toughness and durability.
Not every Ruby that is mined makes up for a good quality gem. Most of the rubies are introduced to certain enhancement process like heat treatment to amplify their natural beauty. These treatments are applied to remove blue patches and other temporary inclusions in the gemstone. Other than heat treatment, a chemical treatment which treats glass fractures of ruby with lead glass or some other minerals can be employed to substantially enhance the colour and hue of the gem.
KGK group carries out mining operations across the world to deliver the best quality gemstones including Rubies to our clients. The king of gemstones is pleasing to the eye and makes for perfect bold jewellery.
