Ruby and Sapphire are members of the Corundum family. If Corundum exhibits a colour from slightly pinkish red, through red to slightly reddy brown then it is called a Ruby. All other colours of Corundum are termed Sapphires.
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| Delong Star Ruby |
Corundum is second only to Diamond in terms of its physical hardness, (although exhibiting only 1/140th of the hardness of Diamond), This hardness (9 on the Moh's scale) in relation to all other gemstones has ensured its position with Sapphire and Emerald as one of the so-called "precious gems".
Ruby is named after the Latin word "rubeus" for red. With colour varying from deposit to deposit, depending on the Chromium and Iron content of the stone. The most desirable coloUr is termed "pigeon’s blood", a pure red with a hint of blue, only currently found in the mines of Myanmar (Burma).
Ruby is one of the most expensive gems available today, with large rubies being considerably rarer than comparable diamonds. The highest price ever paid for a gemstone on auction on a per carat basis was for a Ruby.
Ruby is the birthstone for those who are born in July, and is used in certain cultures to celebrate a couple's 15th and 40th anniversary.
