The origin of rubies
The ruby is a stone known for its distinctive colour. It is a symbolic stone with fantastic powers that has adorned the crowns and jewellery of the greatest people since the time of kings. Today, it remains the most expensive precious stone after diamonds.
Its characteristics
The ruby is the red stone of the corundum family. Apart from ruby, all stones in the corundum family are sapphires. So you're probably wondering why it's not called a red sapphire like all the other varieties of sapphire? It's simply because it's the only stone in the corundum family to contain chromium in its composition. Pink sapphire is an exception within the sapphire family, as it also contains a small amount of chromium. Depending on its chromium content, its hues can vary from red, pink and violet to orange.
Like emeralds, these stones have inclusions that can be seen with the naked eye, and this is what gives them their natural charm. An inclusion on a precious or semi-precious stone refers to any foreign matter or internal defect that is trapped in the stone during its formation. But what we love about it is that it has a hard body that allows it to be cut into any shape with extreme precision. Ruby scores 9 on the Mohs scale.
A rough ruby is generally pink and opaque. To give it the colour and transparency it is known for, it is heated to a temperature of 1,300°C, which also has the effect of removing some of the inclusions. Heating is considered a necessary embellishment technique for this stone, and is also used for sapphires. These stones, which emerge naturally from the earth with a red, transparent colour and no inclusions, are very rare, and their price is very high.
Because of their price, they are the most heavily treated gemstones. A treated ruby is a stone on which cavities have been filled in so that it does not have to be recut, thereby losing weight. But this technique makes the ruby lose a lot of value... At Théa Jewelry, you won't find treated rubies.
The virtues of rubies
The ruby is much more than just a precious stone. Beyond its dazzling beauty, it is endowed with remarkable virtues, particularly in terms of health and well-being. Traditionally, rubies have been reputed to have healing properties, particularly for heart and circulatory problems. By wearing a piece of jewellery adorned with ruby, it is said that the positive energy of this stone can help to regulate the heartbeat and improve blood circulation.
But the benefits of ruby don't stop there. This precious stone is also associated with protection against nightmares and anxiety. It is said to bring a sense of peace and calm, promoting restful sleep and better mental health.
So wearing a jewel adorned with rubies goes far beyond aesthetics. Whether for its dazzling beauty or for its virtues, the ruby remains a precious stone that has been particularly prized and appreciated for centuries.
