Ruby
Rubies are one of the more favourite gemstones among jewellers because it is somewhat affordable compared to other precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires and emeralds. Its name is derived from “rubber” which is Latin for red. In fact, rubies range in colour from a slight pink to flaming-blood red. The redder a ruby is, the higher is its price. The brightest red is called “pigeon-blood red” and is considered the best specimen. Its red colour is due to the presence of chromium. But the hardness of ruby comes from the mineral corundum which is second only to diamonds on the Mohs Scale of hardness.
Rubies Red
Like diamonds, rubies are evaluated based on the 4 Cs such as colour, clarity, cut and carat. An aspect of clarity is facet which is a flat surface on a geometric shape such as a rough gemstone like a ruby. An expert in gemmology can enhance a gemstone’s value by making the faceting contribute to a ruby’s brilliance by balancing its internal and external reflections. The most common facet is the round brilliant cut. A good ruby gemstone also needs to have needle-like “rutiles” which is actually titanium dioxide that produces a lovely deep red colour.
Ruby Stone