Facts about Ruby
Trade terms such as balas ruby for red spinel and rubellite for red tourmaline can mislead unsuspecting buyers.
In chemical and mineralogical terms, the ruby is a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminum oxide), with the red color produced mainly by the presence of small amounts of chromium.
Occasionally, a technique relying on fluorescence is used to differentiate between a synthetic ruby and a natural one.
Ruby gemstones are valued according to a combination of various features, including their size, color, clarity, and cut.
According to Rebbenu Bachya, the word odem in the book of Exodus, verse 28:17, means "ruby".
The ruby (from the Latin word ruber, meaning "red," or rubeus, meaning "reddish") is a well-known red gemstone.
In nature diamonds are rare, but not so in the gem world. Rubies and sapphires are different colored varieties of the mineral corundum. Now corundum is a fairly common mineral. Ranking a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness (diamond is a 10), corundum has been mined extensively for abrasives.
Ed., list a wide range of wholesale prices for faceted gem rubies. Prices are dependent on origin, color, size, and clarity: from a low of $100 to $15,000/ct. Myanmar or Burmese stones in ½ to 1 carat sizes with slightly purplish red color and light inclusions range from $300 to $3,000/ct., for example.
Color is the most significant factor affecting a ruby's value. The finest ruby has a pure, vibrant red to slightly purplish red color. As the color becomes too orangy or more purplish, the ruby moves down the quality scale. The highest-quality rubies have vivid color saturation.
Though both rubies and garnets are beautiful red stones, you really don't want to confuse the two. Specifically, you don't want to pay for a ruby and wear a garnet. At a brief glance, they look very similar. However, rubies are considered one of the most valuable gemstones whereas garnets are, well, not.Mar 30, 2015
The only significant use of spinel is as a gemstone. It occurs in a variety of colors (colorless, pink, red, orange, blue, purple, brown, black). The colors that imitate ruby and sapphire are the most popular, along with an orange-red color known as "flame spinel." Gem-quality red and blue spinels are very rare.