The color of the ruby is its most important quality factor. The most sought after color is a strong pure red – to red with a small hint of blue. This vibrant red hue is known ad “pigeon’s blood”.
The Persian shah Jahan (1627-58) expressed his expert knowledge of the precious stones on his peacock-tone with 108 rubies, legends tell - and rubies have been widely used in ornaments in India and China. They were embedded in the foundation of a building to ensure a good future for the building. The Chinese emperor Kublai Khan offered a whole city in exchange for a huge ruby.
The ruby is considered the most beautiful of the twelve gems created by God and ruby is the birthstone of July. The name ruby derives from the Latin ruber, meaning red. The first rubies were found in Sri Lanka around 500 BC, but for centuries the most popular rubies have arrived from the market of northern Myanmar. Rubies have also been found in Thailand, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and under the ice sheet in Greenland.
Ruby a like sapphire a variety of corundum, that gets its red color from chromium. Corundum that occurs in any other color than red is classified as sapphire. Ruby as been prized for centuries for its excellent hardness of 9 on Moh's scale and is only surpassed by diamonds and moissanite. The first synthetic ruby was produced in 1837. They are used in science, and for example, the first lasers were developed with synthetic rubric crystals. From 1910 the first came in jewelry quality on the market from Verneuil's laboratory.
Of the most beautiful rubies in color are the "Edward's Ruby", weighing 167 carat, which can be seen at the British Museum of Natural History in London and the "Rossers Reeves Star Ruby" of 138.7 carat, which can be seen at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
Napoleon’s first fiancée Désirée wore the most beautiful rubies and diamonds – a parure that Désirée bring with her when she becomes the Queen of Sweden. Queen Ingrid testified the ruby parure to the Danish Crown Prince Frederik – and is now worn by Princess Mary of Denmark.
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We offer rubies in various shapes and colors. If you have specific preferences for the gemstone's shape and hue, feel free to contact us anytime.
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