July Birthstone: The Ruby
Sabrina Easley
As summer heats up during the month of July, we see that reflected in this fiery gemstone. With deep red coloring, and on occasion slight purplish undertones, the ruby is one eye-catching corundum. Ranking a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, not only are rubies beautifully vibrant, but they make a great gemstone for regular wear on your jewelry.
For some additional fun facts on this fascinating gem, feel free to read below!
Meaning Behind the Ruby
Across many cultures, rubies have been associated with wealth, prosperity, youthfulness, and even the life force that is our very own blood. Some cultures saw the ruby as a mystical, powerful force capable of predicting the future. In ancient Burma, the warriors believed that the ruby made them impervious to defeat.
The common through-line across these different peoples remains similar: rubies signify health, wealth, youth, and even success in love.
Ruby Care Guide
Rubies rank a 9 on the hardness scale, meaning they are fairly resistant to scratches and abrasions (unless they were to be scratched by something harder, like a diamond). Rubies and sapphires are actually the same gemstone, coming from the corundum classification.
While rubies themselves are fairly scratch resistant with a high hardness ranking, sometimes rubies are treated to fill in inclusions present in the stone with glass.
Rubies are typically perfectly fine to be cleansed in an ultrasonic; if your ruby has abrasions that are filled in with glass, we do not recommend cleaning with an ultrasonic and extra care should be used when wearing your piece.
A common treatment for rubies that you may run across is “heat treatment”. Heat treatment is fairly common and safe for rubies; the stone is treated with extremely high heat to remove any purple undertones and leave behind a deeper, more uniform red coloration. This treatment should not fade or alter under normal wear and tear conditions.
If you are interested in learning more about rubies, or seeing more of our fabulous pieces, feel free to stop by during our normal operating hours!