World Famous Rubies

by Yuman Hussain

There are some amazing rubies which are world famous for their beauty, color, cut and clarity. A stone renowned for passion and power it has been remained favorite with royalty and dynasties since antiquity. The beauty of this stone had been extolled in several books, travelogues and memoirs of travelers, poets and writers.

Summary: There are some amazing rubies which are world famous for their beauty, color, cut and clarity. A stone renowned for passion and power it has been remained favorite with royalty and dynasties since antiquity. The beauty of this stone had been extolled in several books, travelogues and memoirs of travelers, poets and writers.

Do you know that rubies are most sought after jewel right from antiquity? The royalty and wealthy classes had exquisite collection of rubies. There are many references to these magnificent stones in Bible and ancient Indian Sanskrit texts. The rarity and red brilliant color with fiery flashes have attracted passion and love .It was the symbol of power for the mighty rulers. Burma has continued to be famous for producing world class rubies since antiquity. In ancient and medieval period the Mogok mines were controlled by Burmese kings therefore all stones were part of royal treasury. A giant ruby of 77 ct was discovered by Burma Ruby Mines Ltd in 1899.King Mindon Min sold one stone weighing more than 36 ct to western traders in exchange of cash. However not much is known about the existence of these stones except mention in the literature.

During the reign of King Thebaw in 1878- 1885 a beautiful stone weighing 100 ct was discovered at Mogok an area famous for many magnificent rubies. This stone was presented to the King by the governor of the ruby mining district as a mark of respect. King Thebaw believed to have stunning Burmese rubies collection. There can be no doubt that all large stones were the property of the state. Jean Baptiste Tavernier a 17th century traveler had written extensively about some of the largest rubies in his famous book ‘Travels’. However in those times every red stone was considered ruby. So it is likely that some of these stones could be spinel. It is interesting to know about some of the exceptional rubies who guided the fate of rulers and dynasties world over.

Stunning Star Rubies

Rosser Reeves Star Ruby

It is a finest and largest 138.7 carat star ruby placed at Smithsonian Institution Washington D.C. This brilliant stone was found at Sri Lankan mines. Named after Mr Rosser Reeves who donated it this stone is clear almost translucent with six rayed star. In 1966 it was insured for $150,000.

De Long star Ruby

It is a 100 carat oval cabochon displayed at American Museum of Natural History New York. Martin Ehrmann sold this piece of beauty to Edith Haggin De Long for $21,400.

Brilliant Burmese Rubies

Edwards Ruby

Named after Major General Sir Herbert Benjamin it was 167 carat Burmese ruby donated by John Ruskin in 1887 to British Museum of Natural History.

Peace Ruby

A 25 carat (43carat uncut) brilliant stone was found at the end of World War I hence the name. This magnificent ruby was mined in 1919 from Mogok mines. It had an irregular hexagonal shape with a flat apex. The color was amazing perfect red as deep as pigeon’s blood. A beautiful stone with unblemished clarity it was purchased by Indian trader in Burma and cut in Bombay into exquisite flawless appearance. This stone was bought and sold several times over the years. However present location of this stone is unknown.

Anne of Brittany Ruby

A beautiful but irregular 105 carat stone is displayed at Louvre Paris.

Maung Lin Ruby

It was one of the greatest Burmese Rubies discovered in Momeit in King Mindon Min’s rule in 1853-78. A stunning 400 carat stone was unsurpassed in beauty. The historical records say that the owner of the stone broke the stone into two gifting one to the King Mindon Min and sent the other half secretly to Calcutta. When King came to know about it he ordered its return. The second stone was purchased at an enormous price and returned to Burma. These stones were again recut with one stone with 98 ct named Nga Mauk and the other stone weighed 74 ct came to be known as Kallahpyan. These were taken to England when British annexed Upper Burma.

Alan Caplan’s Ruby or the Mogok Ruby

It is really impossible to find out about the finest ruby ever present. However this stone holds the distinction of being finest with a highest per carat price. It is 15.97ct untreated Burma beauty auctioned by Sotheby in 1986 .It was reportedly purchased by Graff and later sold for a whopping sum to Sultan of Brunei.

J.N Forster Rubies

The two most important Burmese rubies in Europe were a red cushion shape weighing 37 ct and drop shaped 47 ct stones. James N. Forster of London later recut these stones into somewhat smaller pieces. These stones traveled from Burma to England under tight military security and it is widely believed that Burmese King under duress allowed there shipment.

Nga Boh (‘Dragon Lord’) Ruby

It is a 44 ct uncut ruby found at Bawbadan, and 20 ct, when cut. It was one of the finest of its size ever found .It was presented to King Tharawadi. This stone went missing during British conquest of King Thebaw’s palace.

Chhatrapati Manik Ruby

A magnificent Burmese oval cabocarbon with deep red color, this stone has an oldest history dating back to almost 2000 years to the reign of Vikramaditya King of Ujjain. He proclaimed himself as Chatrapati a ‘Supreme King’ and upon advise of his astrologers put the stone in the centre of his crown.

A representation of the gem said to be the Chhatrapati Manik Ruby. At left is a view of the gem mounted in a diamond tiara.This magnificent ruby then was passed to Traders and other rulers from the descendents of the King Vikramaditya. The ruler of Golconda Tara Shah loved the stone so much that he engraved his name on it and ordered a book of poetry to be written extolling its virtues. Later when Mogul Emperor Aurangzeb defeated Tana Shah he ordered to remove his name and put his name instead. Aurangzeb later presented this stone to the bankers of Murshidabad in recognition of their services to Mughal Empire. Later this stone was sold in England and mounted on a diamond tiara.

Hixon Ruby

Another fine Mogok ruby crystal it is displayed at Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Weighing almost 196.1 ct it has flawless surface.

One of the largest rubies was discovered at Thailand. A giant brilliant 150 ct stone was publicly displayed during gem fairs.

Rough Rubies

Several brilliant pieces of ruby stones are displayed in some of the world’s leading museums. The British Museum has on display a hexagonal prism of 10×7″ weighing 34lb from North Carolina. Another specimen is 12x9x4 cm weighing 105 lb. It is a single crystal piece.

Rubies have continued to hold fascination of the people. A rare stone it is amazing to know about some of the brilliant pieces which have emerged in the history of mankind generating feelings such as passion, love, envy, greed and love. Ruby will remain have special place of honor among the lovers of finest jewelry and gemstones.

Ruby types

by Madubanti Rudra

Going to buy rubies? Read on the article below to learn about the classifications of this outstanding jewel to make an informed decision.

Are you in search of a unique gift to impress your Valentine? Or are you a person into many years of marriage who wants to add some spice to his love life? Are you looking for some unusual way for expressing love to the special person in your life? Whatever may be the case, say, “I love you” with a ruby and see the sparks fly instantly. This is a gem, which has often been equated with human passion of the highest level. What could be more expressive than letting a part of your thought be known through this remarkable gem? So if you want to share the warmth of your heart with the person you love or you wish to express your passion, make a ruby the conduit of your emotions. Since antiquity, this red member of the corundum family has been adored by Royals, as well as commoners for its blood red hues and flaming radiance. The original grade one rubies, which are rare to the point of extinction, often out price diamond of similar size.

If you want to learn about the types of rubies, you have to first understand the chemical composition of this magnificent stone. Rubies originate from the ore of Aluminum oxide or corundum. The hardness of ruby is measured 9 on Mohs scale and its specific gravity is 3.96 – 4.01. Its glow is due to its refractive index, which is 1.759 – 1.767 to 1.770 – 1.779. These qualities make the rubies especially suitable for jewellery making.

We borrow the name of ruby whenever we try to describe anything red. But you can find many variations in shades of red in this July birthstone. These variations are the result of the presence of inclusions in the stone. While the chromic oxide is responsible for the red hues, ferric oxide lends it yellowish tints. Intense reds in certain rubies are the function of titanium. You can even find rubies with pink, purple, orange and brown shades as a result of the presence of chromium and iron in varied degrees.

Apart from the color, it is the places of origin that accounts for the broader classification of rubies. If you are a gemstone enthusiast, you might know about the value of Burma rubies. Even if you are not, it is likely you might have heard about them. These are the rubies with the greatest fame and in optimum demand. Its fame stretches long back to the days of Marco Polo who has made a mention of these precious stones in his travel accounts.

You will find that the rubies mined in Thailand finish a close second in the race for the top position. However, more or less the same quality of rubies can also be found in the countries like Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Africa. They are similar in the sense, that they possess similar chemical as well as physical properties. Then how are they distinguished from each other? It is their unique shades that make them distinguishable according to their places of origin. Let us examine the discernible qualities of some of the world famous varieties of rubies.

Burmese rubies

Burma has been the source of the world’s most superior quality rubies. It is the fierce red displayed under any kind of light that makes these Burmese rubies one of the most coveted jewels in the world. The unique color in Burmese rubies is described as ‘pigeon’s blood’. The chromium impurities are accountable for this flaming red in Burmese rubies. The regions around Mogok in northern Burma and Mong-Hsu to the east of Mandalay are famous for ruby mining. Kinds of blemishes are the essential attributes of any natural stone. Burmese rubies contain the least of them. Sometimes they do come with inclusions in blue or pink shades.

Thai rubies

Next in order of quality, Thai rubies come second. Thai rubies come with rather darker undertones caused by the presence of iron along with chromium. Thus you find the Thai rubies with brownish to burgundy hues. Also known as Siam rubies, these of course are no match for their Burmese cousins. Most of them are heat-treated. Chantaburi and Trat provinces lying in the south-east of Bangkok are famous for ruby mining.

Sri-Lankan rubies

If you want a match for those gorgeous Burmese rubies you can some times find it in the Sri-Lankan rubies. These rubies with pink tints have a unique beauty of their own.

Vietnam rubies

Vietnamese rubies have a standard as high as Burmese rubies. Yen Bai and Nghe are two of the prime mines of Vietnam. They have an unpredictable supply.

Tanzania Rubies

In Tanzania, ruby deposits are found in regions near Songea. The color of these rubies resembles the garnet so closely that even jewelers are often baffled by their closeness. It has been noticed that the intensity of color diminishes with size. Therefore, the smaller the Tanzanian rubies are, the more they command price.

Madagascar rubies

Two regions in Madagascar; Andilamena and Vatomandry are recent additions in the world ruby mining map. Here ruby occurs in a large number of igneous rocks. Apply a little bit heat treatment and wow! They are almost equal to their Burmese cousins in beauty and vitality. They are special from the aspects of gemological and mineralogical properties too.

The deposit discovered in the Andilamena region is quite substantial and has been much into production of rubies in recent years. The rubies mined in the Vatomandry region do not require heat treatment. The rubies mined here are found in attractive crystal forms in shades of orange, red and pink.

Afghanistan rubies

Little is known about ruby mining in Afghanistan. However we find its reference in the writings of travelers as early as 951 A.D. Ibn Batuta, Al Biruni and Marco Polo discussed about ruby mining in Afghanistan in their travelogues. Balas ruby mines of Badakshan and Jagdalek appear to be authentic sources of rubies in Afghanistan. Not much is known about the gemological properties of Badakshan rubies. However the physical and chemical properties of Jagdalek rubies account for ruby crystals in faint colors to deep red. Often they are slightly purplish and strongly fluorescent. Occasionally violet rubies have been mined in these desolate mining regions. Afghanistan Ruby image courtesy: mineral.galleries.com

Synthetic rubies

Synthetic rubies are primarily of three types- doublets, Verneuil or flame fusion and flux grown.

Doublets:
This type of synthetic rubies are not much in vogue nowadays. However they make great gifts. Doublets are usually stones of imitation backing with a natural corundum crown, generally made out of green or white corundum. When viewed carefully the joint made with glue can be noticed.

Verneiul or flame fusion:
The name is attributed to the process of production. They are easily distinguishable from natural rubies. These synthetic rubies are typically characterized by certain curved color banding known as striae. You can also find inclusions in the form of gas bubbles in them.

Flux grown:
This is the synthetic variety that you can not easily distinguish from a real one. Molten flux is crystallized under specified conditions of temperature and pressure to produce these versions of synthetic rubies. The stones might develop fractures when the pressure is released. Different processes of flux-grown rubies produce different types of inclusions. Often inclusions resemble that of natural rubies.

Do you want to see the smiling face of your beloved? Then present her a gorgeous ruby and eternalize your love. The types of ruby described above will guide you through your purchase.

Star Ruby

by Nasrina Parvin Khan

Star Ruby is a type of rubies, which shows the special optical phenomenon “asterism”. “Asterism” is a phenomenon by which a star shaped light effect has been shown across the surface of the gem through the reflection or transmission of light.

‘Red’ is the color of passion, love, brightness and power. Every women as well as men are fascinated with this color .If we get a gem with color ‘red’ it will be a pleasing experience for us. It will fulfill our desire to get a gemstone with red.

Is there any gemstone in ‘red’? Yes, it is “ruby”. Ruby is the most passionate as well as most precious gemstone in this Earth. The most important characteristic of this gem is its amazing color.

The name ruby was came from the Latin word ‘rubens’ which means red. This excellent colored gemstone is considered as the King of Gemstone.

India was considered as the classical country of rubies for a long time. In the Sanskrit (on of the classical languages of India) ruby is called ‘ratnaraj’ which translates as “King of the Gemstones”.

Other important characteristics of ruby are its excellent hardness and brightness. On the Moh’s scale this splendid stone shows a hardness of 9, just after the diamond, the gravity is also high of this gem. It is 3.97- 4.05.

Rarity is another important thing about ruby. Ruby is an extremely rare gemstone. Especially finer quality ruby is very rare.

Ruby is the red variety of the corundum mineral. Actually the pure corundum has no color. Inclusions of little bit of other elements like, chrome, iron, titanium or vanadium are responsible for creating the color ‘red’. The ingredients of ruby are Aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and chrome with smallest proportions of other trace elements. But all the things are depends on the respective occurrence. Actually chrome is the element, which awarding ruby it’s amazing color deep inside the core of Earth, since the creation of the gemstone.

Ruby occurs in metamorphic rocks, diplomatic marble and gneiss. Usually corundum mined from secondary alluvial deposits. Very rarely, it is mined from primary deposits.

There are various kinds of rubies. But the most rare, valuable and attractive form of rubies is Star Ruby.

WHAT IS STAR RUBY?

STAR ruby is a rare variety of rubies. Nearly 3 stars are discovered in every 100 faceted corundum mined. Fine stars are more rare.

Star Ruby is a type of rubies, which shows the special optical phenomenon “asterism“.

“Asterism” is a phenomenon by which a star shaped light effect has been shown across the surface of the gem through the reflection or transmission of light.

Star Ruby is one of the most popular star gems, which shows an illuminated, wavy star bellow the surface of the crystal.

Usually Star Ruby shows the six legged star effect. But it can shows four to twelve rays depending on the crystal system of the gems. Twelve rays star effect in ruby is very occasional.

WHAT CAUSES STAR EFFECT

Star effect or “asterism” is caused by the dense inclusions of tiny fibers of foreign particles in gems. Generally, these inclusions are the reason of the reflection of light and form a wavy star like formation, which moves around when the mineral is rotated. All the inclusions in the gem are form via exsolution.

Solid crystal inclusions found within the corundum ruby. Some rubies leave holes or empty areas in the host, which filled with liquid, gas or solid. Reflection creates from fibers or fibrous cavity in the crystal.

The inclusions must be long, very thin needle like which called as ‘rutile’. “Asterism” is produced when the light is concentrate into 3 rays that intersects at right angles to the direction of the needles. Thus we get a six-rayed star. Small needles of rutile sometimes called ‘silk’ are oriented inside the minerals in the direction of the crystal growth system. There is relationship between the gem’s growth and the number of rays produced by the reflected light.

The arrangements of needles in a hexagonal pattern produced six-rayed ‘asterism’.

Exsolved inclusions form a pattern in the host mineral to form a star. This pattern remains same in case of ruby. The rays of star should cross at the top of the ruby and must be distinct.

QUALITY OF A STAR

The sharpness and the size of the star in ruby depend on the quality and quantity of rutile needles. We get a better star in ruby when the rutile packed more densely. Longer needles also produce a better star than the tiny particles. When the quantities of needles are much more, ruby turned into a low translucent stone and lack ‘asterism’. It also harms the color of ruby.

CUTTING OF A STAR RUBY

Cutting is very important to exhibit the star effect in ruby. Proper cutting helps to extracts the beauty of the gem. To display the star effect in best way, a ruby must be cut as cabochon with the girdle, parallel to the needles. Medium to high cabochons need to be cut to get a perfect star in ruby. The domed must be round or oval shaped.

COLOR OF STAR RUBY

The color of ruby is red. But the Star Ruby usually is not red. The Star Ruby available in red/pink or pink/red. Star Ruby from Sri Lanka is purplish brown. Generally the pinks have the best stars. Star Ruby with color ‘red’ is very very rare and costly. Red ruby with a perfect star are quiet impossible to locate.

COST OF STAR RUBY

The cost of red Star Ruby can reach at $50,000 per carat. Generally, three-carat pinks Star ruby sell for about $2000+ per carat whereas reds begin at about $5000 per carat.

The value of a Star Ruby influenced by the intensity and attractiveness of the body colors as well as the strength and sharpness of the star. All six legs of the star should be straight and prominent.

OCCURRENCE OF STAR RUBY

Finer qualities Star Rubies mainly come from Mogok of Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Mogok material is the most fascinating. In the other hand African and Thai corundum do not produce stars due to the lack of rutile in the host material.

FAMOUS STAR RUBY

The most famous spectacular Star Ruby is over 138-carat Rosser Reeves Ruby, which can be seen at the Smithsonian. It was mined in Sri Lanka.
More Resources
Ruby mineral specimens
Buy Star ruby at gemhut
Burma Star Ruby

Ruby Identification

by Erum Qureshi

Step by step laboratory identification procedure for Rubies. “There are numerous tests conducted to identify true rubies. Various characteristics and traits are judged by a gemologist to authenticate and grade a ruby”

Identification of Rubies

There are numerous tests conducted to identify true rubies. Various characteristics and traits are judged by a gemologist to authenticate and grade a ruby.

Color

The first criteria a gemologist looks for in a stone purported to be a ruby is the color – a strong red color, and a stone belonging to the corundum species will be the first very basic factors, which will decide if the given stone is indeed a ruby and whether it ought to be subject to further examination and tests to prove beyond doubt that it is indeed a ruby. Tests for hardness, for measuring the specific gravity of the stone and the refraction of light are just some of them.

Physical Properties of Rubies

Species

Corundum as a mineral would be colorless if pure. However the presence of one or more metallic oxides present in the stone as impurities gives corundum its colors. All stones belonging to this species ranging in varying shades of red to a deep crimson are called rubies.

Light red, pink or even violet corundum are usually called sapphires because if they were grouped as rubies they would be stones of an inferior quality. Hence, besides red, all other colors of corundum are properly termed as sapphires with color prefix.

Corundum is found in many colors besides red (ruby) and blue (sapphire). Colorless, yellow, violet, green and even brown colors may be found. The name ruby literally means red (derived from the Latin word – ‘ruber’.) Rubies vary in shades from varieties of red to a deep crimson due to traces of chromic oxide (Cr2O3) in its crystal structure. The amount of chromic oxide (usually 1-3%) determines the depth of color in the stones and traces of iron in the ferric state gives them a brownish tinge. The ideal color for a ruby would be a strong traffic signal red.

Hardness

Although corundum is a hard mineral (rating 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness) care needs to be taken during testing as they are slightly brittle and if dropped on a hard surface or given a sharp blow, are prone to develop internal flaws or fractures.

Step by step tests to determine Ruby’s authenticity

Determination of Specific Gravity (SG)

Each gemstone has its own specific gravity which is ratio of its weight to the same volume of water.

The specific gravity of purest corundum is around 3.98, this value, way beyond the range of commercially sold heavy liquids usually used to determine Specific gravity. Therefore a special solution called “Clerici” is used. This solution contains very soluble thallium salts: the ‘formate’ and the ‘malonate’. The Clerici solution at a specific gravity of 4.00 is dense enough to float corundum at room temperature. Thus, in spite of being hazardous and viscous as compared to other high density liquids, it is used to measure the specific gravity of Ruby and Sapphire.

The Clerici solution is an aqueous solution and can be diluted with distilled water. Ruby when suspended in a beaker of Clerici solution has to be clean and dry and so do the tweezers and other apparatus used for the test. Care needs to taken that these are free from other organic solutions before immersing the gem in the solution.

Natural ruby will have an SG approximating 3.99 although there is a variation for stones mined from different localities. Once the SG is confirmed to be that of corundum, the gemologist moves on to the next step.

Determination of Refractive Index

Light rays leaving one medium and entering another obliquely seem to bend a little at the place of contact. This is called refraction of light.

During gem testing, measuring the refractive index or RI helps the gemologist observe the indices of refraction of light on a particular species of gemstone. Spot readings are taken for cabochon cut rubies; faceted stones are placed facedown on the glass of a Refractometer with a small amount of contact liquid and the reading is taken. The RI of ruby will be between 1.76 and 1.77.

The refractive index can sometimes be a decisive factor for successfully eliminating a ruby look-alike like tourmaline which will have a much lower RI of 1.61 to 1.66.

Double Refraction Test

When a ray of light enters a crystal having a Trigonal system in directions other than the optic axis, it splits into two distinct rays. This is known as double refraction. The Ruby, being of the Trigonal crystal structure shows two indices of refraction in a polariscope. These are known as the ordinary ray and the extraordinary ray.

This can be useful in identifying gemstones, the difference between the highest and lowest refractive index is known as birefringence. Ruby has a birefringence of – 0.008, with a negative sign because the ordinary ray is of greater value.

Pleochroism Test

Because the ruby is doubly refractive (it has two rays), each of these rays absorbs light differently and this has an effect on the stone’s color. When it is turned, it shows a slightly different shade of color and this effect is known as Dichroism.

The ordinary ray in ruby showing a deep purplish red is the most attractive and desirable for this species.

Determination of Absorption Spectra

The absorption of colored stones is in well marked bands or finer dark lines which cross the otherwise continuous spectrum, obliterating certain colors or wavelengths when white light is transmitted through or reflected from the stone.

The spectroscope is an instrument that determines the wavelength of the absorbed light. The wavelength is measured in nanometers (symbol nm) or angstrom symbol ?. The spectrum most common to Ruby is the chromium spectrum. It is characterized by general absorption in the deep violet, transmission in the blue, an absorption band in the green and transmission in the orange and red.

Fluorescence Test

The luminescence of rubies whose coloring agent is chromium is a strong crimson / orange light when subject to any kind of radiation (short-wave, long-wave or even blue light). When viewed through the Chelsea color filter, this fluorescent red is visible. It is this property that can be used to distinguish between garnets and rubies – garnets do not fluoresce.

Microscopic Examination

Without doubt the final and most determinative test to decide the authenticity of any gemstone is its examination under a microscope.

Gemologists rely on their expertise and experience to spot the inclusions before taking the final call on the authenticity and grade of a gemstone. Inclusions (irregularities in the crystal structure and internal flaws) in ruby are straight angular growth lines following the crystal faces. Included are rutile needles or hematite plates called ‘silk’, which bring about a soft sheen in the stone.

When such a stone is cut en cabochon these rutile needles or ‘silk’ brings about the rare cat’s eye effect or the very desirable asterism (a six rayed star that shimmers above the stone’s surface when it is moved). Rhombohedral twinning and boehmite needles are inclusions exclusive to natural corundum and have never been observed in flux grown synthetic corundums. Inclusions typical to synthetic ruby are curved growth lines (thin striae or bands), gas bubbles and dense clouds of extremely fine rutile silk in star stones. These clouds do not show the straight angular zoning patterns that natural stones show, they have curving bands instead.

Besides the observing the color, there are an array of tests to identify a given stone as a ruby. These tests, conducted by trained gemologists under strict guidelines using highly sophisticated equipment will establish beyond doubt the identity of any given gemstone. As it is next to impossible for an untrained eye to distinguish between synthetic and natural stones, or even ruby or a look alike from a gem of another species, these methods are valuable tools that help in identifying gemstones and making a correct, informed decision about their purchase or use.