Celebrated in the Bible and in ancient Sanskrit writings as the most precious of all gemstones, rubies
have been the prized possession of emperors and kinds throughout the ages. Ruby's inner fire
has been the inspiration for innumerable legends and myths, and to this day, no red
gemstone can compare to its fiery, rich hues. It has believed wearing a fine red
ruby bestowed good fortune on its owner - although the owner must have
already had good fortune enough to possess such a rare and beautiful
gemstone! Many people associate its brilliant crimson colors
with passion and love, making ruby an ideal choice
for an engagement ring. Ruby is the red variety
of the corundum mineral species, while
all other colors of corrundum
are called Sapphire.

This most sought after gemstone is available in a range of red hues, from purplish and bluish red to
orangish red. Ruby is readily available in sizes up to 2 carats, but larger sizes can be obtained.
However, in its finest quality, any size ruby can be scare. In readily available small sizes,
ruby makes an excellent accent gemstone because of its intense, pure red color.

Ruby is mined throughout Southeast Asia. While Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) produce exquisite
examples of this gemstone that the ancient Sinhalese people
called "Ratnarai," the King of Gemstones.

Despite all the best efforts of gemstone merchants to use technology to enrich color, fine ruby is still
exceptionally rare. After being extracted from the earth, rubies today are commonly heated
to high temperatures to maximize the purity and intensity of their red hue. Impurities
may also disolve or become less noticeable after heating. However, heating will only
improve the color if the gemstone already contains the chemistry required.
Occasionally rubies with small imperfections are permeated with a
silicate byproduct of the heating process, which helps to make
small fissures less visible. This enhancement, like heating,
is permanent and rubies, whether enhanced or not,
remain among the most durable of gems.

Today a new method of artifically coloring the surface of paler rubies through the diffusion of beryllium,
or a similar element, has made the red of ruby more affordable. Although this method is
not yet common, in the future beryllium- diffused rubies may offer an affordable
alternative to either untreated or heat-enhanced rubies, which are both
much more rare. However, recutting or repolishing may affect the
color of some beryllium-diffusion treated rubies.



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