Enough rubies gemstones, one of the scarcest in the world, have always fascinated people with their attractive red colour and have been operating as valuable items for centuries. The ruby stone is referred to as the king of gemstones, and it occupies a unique position in the list of gemstones not only due to its visibility but also because they are hard to wear and are very rare. In this massive ruby guide, you will discover everything you want to know about these gems: their history, formation, quality aspects, and market evaluation.
What Are Rubies?
The door rubies are a corundum, an aluminium oxide mineral that includes chromium with a percentage of colour. As with sapphire, the common gemstone referred to as ruby is a type of corundum but unlike sapphire, the ruby contains a life, that is chromium.
Rubies can be found in intense red, similar to fresh blood, and in some shades of pink. According to these cognitions, the most valuable and demanded rubies are known as ‘pigeon’s blood rubies’, bright red with a hint of blue. Rubies have a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, thus being one of the hardest materials in the natural world, only coming second to diamonds. Due to this durability, ruby gemstones are ideal, especially with jewellery likely to be used frequently.
How Are Rubies Formed?
The largest known sources of ruby are in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) and, more specifically, in the Mogok Valley region, which has been providing some of the finest specimens of ruby in the international market for hundreds of years. Other sources are Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Madagascar. All these places yield rubies with distinct attributes. Still, the ones from Myanmar, specifically referred to as Burmese rubies, are widely thought to be the best because of their inches of colour and clarity.
Treatments and Enhancements
Today, a fair share of ruby gemstones have been treated to improve their looks. The most well-known treatment is heat treatments, which help improve the colour and clarity of the ruby. Although most of the industry approves heat-treated rubies, natural untreated rubies are extremely scarce and priceless.
Other treatments include fracture filling (of cracks with lead glass or any other material), which is undesirable and significantly reduces the value of the stone. It is recommended that choosing rubies from certified dealers include any treatment done to the gemstone.
Synthetic and Imitation Rubies
Since natural rubies are scarce and costly, synthetic rubies have gained significant demand recently. Synthetic rubies are produced in a laboratory and possess the chemical and physical characteristics of natural rubies, but they are much cheaper. Because of their hardness, cubic zirconias are mainly employed in industries like watch making and lasers.
Fake rubies, on the other hand, are materials that look similar to ruby gemstones, though they are chemically different. Thus, red spinel and garnets are most frequently used as ruby substitutes. These stones, though, can be good in themselves, but they lack the value and esteem of the actual ruby gemstones.
Ruby Market and Investment
Rubies gemstones are well demanded in the global market of gemstones, and the price on them tends to rise gradually. The finest rough gems or rubies, mainly from Myanmar, can cost as much as or even slightly more than diamonds. It is widely known that the primary drivers of all gemstone investments are the rarity, origin, size and quality of the stone in question. That does not exclude Ruby in any way possible.
There has been an unprecedented sale of great ruby gemstones in recent years, with some changing hands for millions of dollars per carat. Collectors and investors look at rubies as having a fixed price as they have a scarcity value and hence are never going out of fashion.
Caring for Ruby Jewelry
Hence, since rubies are hard, these gemstones are pretty easy to maintain, provided they are handled rightly. If you own ruby jewellery, then you should make sure that you clean it using mild, soapy water and a bit of brush. Berkeley agreed that the ruby should not be cleaned with ultrasonic or any chemical that may hurt any treatment that may have been applied to the ruby. It is also recommended to store the stone; one has to place it into the soft pouch or another small compartment to prevent scratching of the stone and make it shine.
Conclusion
Rubies are undoubtedly one of the most magnificent and revered gemstones in demand today. Their bright and interesting history, as well as their long service life, make pearls a real treasure for collectors and jewellers. Whether you use ruby for your pleasure or as an investment, you have to understand several features or qualities that define the price of the stone.
