RUBY - the "King of Gems"

Granulated 22K Gold and Ruby Ring by Nancy Troske

For centuries Ruby has been desired as a symbol of wealth, success, love and passion.  It's in as much demand today as it was centuries ago.  In Sanskrit the term for ruby is "ratnaraj" or the "King of Gems." It is valued for its lush red color and it's name comes from the Latin word "ruber" for red.


 Ruby is the most valuable variety of the gem species corundum. Corundum is the second hardest substance on the Mohs scale, with a rating of 9. The most sought after color is a vivid, pure red.  The most desirable color is the so-called "pigeon's blood", a pure red with a hint of blue. Color saturation makes all the difference. Some rubies are purplish or pinkish and although some countries  will consider those stones to be ruby,  Gemologists in the U.S. would call them pink sapphire.  (Sapphires are also corundum and come in all colors, although most people think of sapphire as blue). Color is the most important consideration, with clarity a distant second. Large rubies are rare.

Star Ruby

Many rubies will fluoresce in long or short wave UV and this property can often be used to help identify a stone's geographic origin. Burmese rubies often fluoresce so strongly that the effect is noticeable even in sunlight; such stones seem literally to glow. Thai rubies usually do not show this characteristic.

Inclusions are common in ruby and not always an indication of lower quality. Rutile needle inclusions cause a  "silky shine".  Some rubies show asterism (a six ray star) and are cut into cabachons.  Transparent rough is faceted into rounds, mixed cut ovals or antique cushions.

If you would like a ring like this gold granulated one shown above made in your size please visit see my Ordering Information.

Speaking of Gemstones - What is Morganite?

Sterling Silver and Morganite Ring by Nancy Troske

A large deposit of "pink beryl" was discovered in 1911 in Madagascar. It's finest color is a deep magenta, but most Morganites offered in today's commercial market are  pale pink.

 Morganite is a variety of Beryl which also includes emerald, aquamarine, golden beryl and bixbite. Some gemstone dealers have called this gemstone "pink emerald." However, many consider this a marketing ploy because emerald has to be a particular green color of beryl to be considered emerald. Morganite's color can vary soft pink to violet to salmon or peach.

John Pierpont Morgan was a connoisseur of gemstones and one of Tiffany's best customers, therefore they named the newly discovered gemstone in his honor and set out the promote it. It then became known as Morganite rather than pink beryl.

As Madagascar's Morganite deposits declined, new sources were discovered in Brazil which then became the top producer. Brazilian Morganites tend to be a peachy pink rather than a violet pink.  The ring show above is a Brazilian Morganite.

Beautiful shades of Morganite - the "pink beryl"

One nice thing about Morganite is that it tends to be eye clean and when cut properly is a gorgeous, lively gem that's full of light and sparkle as in my Morganite and silver ring shown here.

Sources of Morganite are:
   Brazil
   Madagascar
   Afghanistan
   USA - Utah

Hardness and Toughness:

7 1/2-8 on Mohs scale (Diamond is 10)
Good Toughness

Care and Cleaning:

Try to stay away from ultrasonic and steam cleaning.  Warm, soapy water is best.  Dry with a soft cloth like an eyeglass cloth or microcloth.

More info on how to purchase this ring or have one made.