Colour:
Colour, colour, colour! In a coloured gemstone, colour is everything! Choose the shade that you’re drawn to the most. Rubies come in a spectrum of shades ranging from pinkish red, purplish red, orangish red, vivid red and last but not least, the coveted pigeon blood red colour. Rubies get their red colour because of the trace element chromium found in the corundum, and the strength of the red is dependent on how much chromium is present in the crystal. Each shade has its own beauty, and we recommend picking the colour that your eye is drawn to the most. If possible, the best way to see the ruby is in natural daylight (but not direct sunlight) to give you a good sense of its colour. In direct sunlight, many rubies display a fluorescence and glow beautifully giving them supernatural look.
The best of the colors of Ruby are described as blood red, or pigeons’ blood with glowing fluorescence – seen in the highest quality Ruby’s from Burma (Mogok), and Mozambique. Next is Royal or vivid red – Red, Fuchsia and Pinkish Red.
Many rubies are treated to enhance their colour. Some treatments include injecting glass into the crystal and these stones are no longer considered to be natural and are referred to as composite stones. Heat treatment is a common treatment applied to the ruby by heating it to distribute its colour more evenly throughout the crystal. Heat treatment is a widely accepted treatment and keeps the crystalline nature of the gem intact as no external substances are being added to it. Unheated rubies will command a higher price as there is no treatment on them.
Origin:
Burma (Myanmar) has been historically an important source for rubies and these rubies are formed from organic materials in metamorphic deposits. Burmese rubies tend to have a pinkish undertone and bright glowing fluorescence when exposed to UV light - so when you see them in the sun, they glow brightly. Burmese rubies often have the desired pigeon blood colour as well. As this has been a historical source for rubies, and the mines are producing less each year, Burmese rubies typically command a higher price because they are rarer.
The second major source for rubies is Mozambique and these rubies tend to have a darker, more intense colour often with a purplish or orange undertone. These rubies are formed from basalt rocks and have a higher iron content that absorbs light and they tend to be darker. Other sources for rubies are Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Madagascar. Each ruby should be evaluated for all its characteristics as a whole, and overall, the more rare the stone, the higher price point it commands.
Cut:
Rubies can be cut as faceted stones or as cabochons which have a rounded domed finish. Faceted stones are the most popular with round, oval and cushion shapes being the most common cut styles as ruby rough cuts well in these shapes. Emerald and squarish shaped cuts are not as common. Cutting is the human element which brings out the natural beauty of the stone. The better the cutting the nicer the stone will look. Ruby cutting is important as it determines how well they return light to your eye. A well-cut stone, will have more brilliance and displays the stones beauty to its max. We ensure our stones are cut to perfection so that there is no light leakage and no "dead" spots where the stone is dull.
Rubies have historically been one of the most coveted gemstones and are often referred to as the king of gems. If you’re curious to learn more about these bold and beautiful gems, come experience their beauty before they are set in jewelry and choose the one that’s right for you: https://aljoher.ca/pages/contact-us
