Ruby: characteristics and curiosities
Jewelry is not only made of precious metals such as gold and silver, but also of precious stones. Among the many mineral varieties present in the world, 4 precious stones stand out with inestimable value: diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire.
Today we will discover together the ruby and some of its characteristics and curiosities.
The name and the history
Ruby is a red corundum , a mineral of aluminum oxide with inclusions of chromium. The name of the precious stone comes from the Latin word 'ruber' , which means, precisely, 'red'. Gem among gems, in ancient times it was believed to be more precious even than diamond.
Ruby has always been the protagonist of myths and legends: in India it was believed that ruby possessed a fire inside it. During the Middle Ages it was thought to have divinatory powers and that it darkened when negative events were approaching. In the nineteenth century it was considered a symbol of nobility, but also a magic amulet to keep away illnesses, nightmares and suffering.
How is it made?
Ruby is a colored variety of Corundum, a crystal formed from aluminum oxide. Its color is due to chromium , present in trace amounts in some cornidones. The brown hue of some rubies, on the other hand, owes its color to the presence of iron.
Where is it located?
Ruby is a precious stone that was already used in ancient Greece and Rome since 480 BC. Probably originating from Sri Lanka, it is thought that these rubies now exhibited in ancient museums, had origins even before the classical Western world. The origin of ruby is conventionally attributed to Burma, in its Mogok Valley . Even today ruby is mined just north of this country, always considered the country 'Lord of Rubies'. Other places of extraction are Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, India, Madagascar, Kenya, Mozambique, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam.
Its characteristics
Ruby is one of the rarest gems, sometimes more difficult to find than the more famous diamond . Exposed to natural light, or under white light, it can display a bright red fluorescence.
Ruby can have a prismatic, bipyramidal or rhombohedral shape and has a vitreous luster. Its color can vary from purple, to wine red, to dark red, but it can also have pink and orange shades. This precious stone, even in its purest form, is 80% red, with the remainder orange, pink, purple and violet. It generally does not exceed 3 carats in weight.
Ruby is a highly prized gemstone in jewelry, watchmaking, and medicine , where it is used in surgical lasers.
Some little curiosities
It is thought that the ruby symbolizes the sun and its fire and that it protects from illnesses and dangers. It was thought that it could give serenity and was linked to feelings of love and passion. The ruby would then be linked to the base chakra and would increase its strength and vitality.
It seems to promote mental clarity and concentration, but also encourage sexual pleasure. Always considered a stone of immense magical power, there is another variety, called star ruby , due to the six-rayed star present inside it and due to the inclusions of rutile. It is said to have greater magical power. It is thought to increase its healing powers with the full moon and that it is very effective in cases of sexual trauma.
And you, did you already know about ruby and its characteristics? Do you have any jewels made of rubies?
We'll see you here again, very soon, to discover many new curiosities together.
