4 Things You Didn’t Know about Rubies

For many centuries, the ruby precious stone has been at the forefront of luxury.  It is unique due to its inherent and vibrant beauty. Rubies also glow beautifully when they’re exposed to sunlight. However, Ruby has more to it than its beauty. In this article, 4 unique facts or things you need to know about Ruby will be explored.

Ruby Color

The popular color of a ruby is strong red. However, the colors of a ruby can differ. It could be blood-red, orange-red, purple-red, brown-red, or pink-red.

The blood-red ruby could symbolize a strong desire for love and passion. It could also symbolize aggression and temperament. It could mean love to the death or anger and war to the death.

The Ruby Precious stone is the king of the four gemstones and has unique qualities. Its colours could symbolize intense love and passion and is a prized possession among royalties throughout the world.

Colours matter in determining the authenticity of rubies as well as the transparency. To determine the value of a ruby stone, they should have inclusions in them. They must however be difficult to see. Inclusions in rubies are commonly known as rutile needles.

However, extremely valuable rubies are easy to see through and may have little or no inclusions.

In a more sustainable world, various initiatives from private lab-grown gemstones manufacturer like BIRON® Gems, transform the jewelry industry by manufacturing lab-created rubies, emeralds or diamonds. Lab-gemstones have the same chemical composition as natural gems but produced in an ethical and eco-friendly way, without mining.

Ruby Cuts

One of the primary factors that determine the value and overall beauty of rubies is the way they are cut. Rubies can be cut into various shapes and sizes. However, they are popularly cut into cushion and oval shapes.

Step-Cut

This is a cutting that has parallel facets to the edge of the ruby. They are cut in such a way that they look like an ascending staircase that is symmetrical. Then to prevent the corners of the ruby from getting damaged due to its sharpness, the corners are slightly softened or rounded. This cut is all about bringing out the natural beauty in the ruby.

Brilliant-Cut

This is a triangular cut. It could vary in number depending on the shape of the ruby. This cut is majorly to make drawing light into the ruby more easily done and it would normally have about 58 facets.

Mixed-Cut

This is a hybrid cut. It is called so because it is a mixture of the step-cut and brilliant-cut. It is commonly used in cutting other gemstones as well. With this type of cut, the colour of the ruby easily shines through. It as well brightens the sparkle of the ruby.

Cabochon-cut

This is the easiest cut. The ruby is formed into a dome shape with a flat bottom. The cabochon-cut is also the least expensive.

Ruby Clarity

Ruby Clarity refers to the number of inclusions in rubies. Types of inclusions in Rubies include Silk, Crystals, Needles, Crack or Feather, Twinning, Fingerprints, Cavity, Scratches, Abrasion, and Colour Zoning. They are the characteristics found in Rubies and they are a medium of determining if the rubies are natural or not.

The following are the ruby clarity grading system:

  • VVS: Very very slight Inclusion
  • VS: Very slight Inclusion
  • SL 1: Slight Inclusion 1 (Inclusions are apparent under 10x magnification)
  • SL 2: Slight Inclusion 2 (Inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification)
  • L1: Obvious Inclusions
  • L2: Prominent Inclusions
  • L3: Numerous Inclusions

Ruby Grading

Rubies are normally graded into ranks as follows:

  • Natural AAA: represents the extremely rare rubies that are just about 1% of all gemstones.
  • Natural AA: accounting for just 10% of all-natural gemstones. They are rubies of very high quality.
  • Natural A: forming 20% of natural gemstones. They are not of very high quality like the Natural AA but are also of great quality.
  • Natural B: accounting for over 50% of natural gemstones.

Rubies can be an ideal gift for any woman in love. They are also used as the gem for the fortieth and fifteenth wedding anniversaries. Rubies are rich in symbolism, and they can be used as gems for royalty. The beauty of their colors, their rarity, and their quality contribute to their uniqueness amidst several other precious gemstones

Written by Megan Taylor
Megan is a beauty expert who is passionate about all things makeup and glam! Her love for makeup has brought her to become a beauty pro at Glamour Garden Cosmetics.