Ruby
| Category |
| Corundum |
| Crystal Form |
| Trigonal |
| Moh's Scale Hardness |
| 9.0 |
| Specific Gravity |
| 3.97–4.05 |
| Refractive Index |
| 1.76–1.78 |
| Sources |
| Afghanistan, Australia, Cambodia, India, Kenya, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Tanzania, Thailand, United States (North Carolina) and Vietnam. |
"Ruby" comes from the Latin word "ruber" meaning red. Rubies are purplish-red to red-yellow in colour. Rubies are one of the hardest and most durable stone on earth.
Inclusions
The colour of rubies can be uneven and normally have very few inclusions, such as other minerals, canals, growth structure and cavities. When needle (rutile) inclusions exist and are aligned, asterism occurs in the gemstone. These stones are cut en cabochon to display the 6-rayed stars, and are known as "Star Ruby".
Treatment
Fracture filling that reduces the visibility of inclusion using oil, paraffin, glass and resin. Heat treatment is used to enhance the colour of the gemstone.
Caring
Due to their hardness and durability, almost any cleaning technique is acceptable
Ruby are more durable then the metal mounts/prongs on your jewellery, so check the prongs occasionally to assure a secure fit.