July Birthstone: Ruby

Ruby deposits have been found all over the world, but most notably in Myanmar, Tanzania, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, India, and South Africa.

The ruby has been at the forefront of folklore and legend for thousands of years. Ancient Hindus thought that offering rubies to the god Krishna would insure their rebirth as emperors. In Myanmar, rubies were believed to make warriors invincible and were often worn into battle as protection.  Medieval magic and legends suggest that rubies held an inextinguishable flame burning inside the stone that would shine through clothing and could even boil water. 

In more recent history, ruby became one of the most sought-after gemstones of European royalty, who wore and gifted ruby to preserve health and riches, achieve success in love and ward off evil thoughts and desires.

Today, rubies are valued just as much and sometimes more than diamonds. It’s an ideal romantic gift as a symbol of passion and loyalty, and is said to stimulate the heart chakra and bring wisdom to its wearer.

Once called “The King of Gems”, ruby is one of the Big Four precious gemstones (along with sapphire, diamond and emerald).  It’s also one of the hardest gemstones out there, second only to diamond, making it a highly valued and popular stone. 

Coming from the Latin word for red, “ruber”, rubies are a corundum crystal, which you probably know better as sapphires. What you probably didn’t know, though, is that not all sapphires are blue. Sapphires can actually be any color on the spectrum except for red, which is what makes the ruby so special--the only red sapphire. This difference comes from the trace amounts of chromium found in rubies, giving them their brilliant red color, a sister to the striking blue of some sapphires.