July Birthstone: Ruby
Rubies are one of the four “precious gems,” along with emeralds, sapphires and diamonds. Thus, they often sell at a higher price than many other gemstones. Depending on the size of the stone, they oftentimes out-price even diamonds. This is because larger rubies are, in general, extremely rare.
This intense gem was first discovered over 2,000 years ago in Asia. In Sanskrit, one of the world’s oldest languages, the ruby is called the “king of precious stones.” Ranging from dark to pinkish red, the sparkling ruby seems to have been mesmerizing people for countless centuries. There’s something about the deep and vibrant color that connects to people across the world, regardless of culture. This is because red is associated with our most strongly felt emotions: love, anger, power and desire. In fact, even seeing a red object has been shown to speed up a heartbeat.
Rubies were often an important part of various belief systems. In the Bible, they are associated with wisdom. In India, rubies were said to create peace between enemies. Across Europe and Asia, many rulers thought that it was a bad omen if their rubies turned a darker shade.
Today the most desired variation is a full red ruby with a slight touch of blue. It’s not hard to find examples of high quality rubies being sold at steep prices. Elizabeth Taylor’s ruby ring sold for $4.2 million at an auction in 2011. And in May 2015, a 25-carat ruby ring was sold at auction for $32 million. Despite different trends in the jewelry world, one thing is for certain; rubies will continue to be one of the most sought after gems for years to come.
