kristin
07-14-2006, 11:12 AM
July’s Birthstone – Ruby
Ruby is a member of the mineral species Corundum, which comes in ever color of the rainbow. All the other colors of Corundum are called Sapphire. Blue Sapphire is the birthstone for September.
Ruby is one of the most historically significant gems. In the bible, rubies are mentioned several times, in association with attributes like beauty and wisdom. In the Sanskrit language, ruby is called ratnaraj or “king of precious stones”. Ruby has a hardness of 9 on Mohs scale, which makes it a good stone for frequently worn jewelry. Almost all rubies in today’s market are heat-treated. In addition to heat treatment there are some other treatments that are sometimes done to improve their transparency, clarity, and color.
Ruby is a member of the mineral species Corundum, which comes in ever color of the rainbow. All the other colors of Corundum are called Sapphire. Blue Sapphire is the birthstone for September.
Ruby is one of the most historically significant gems. In the bible, rubies are mentioned several times, in association with attributes like beauty and wisdom. In the Sanskrit language, ruby is called ratnaraj or “king of precious stones”. Ruby has a hardness of 9 on Mohs scale, which makes it a good stone for frequently worn jewelry. Almost all rubies in today’s market are heat-treated. In addition to heat treatment there are some other treatments that are sometimes done to improve their transparency, clarity, and color.