Where are raw rubies mined? Gemstone ruby ​​Where ruby ​​is mined

In the photo: map of ruby ​​deposits

Ruby deposits

In the photo on the left: samples from Mozambique: 4.07 and 4.02 ct. (heated) and 3.02 ct. (unheated)

It happens that the cost of natural gems is also affected by the factor of their geographical origin (place of extraction). Some of the finest precious rubies in the world come from Myanmar (Burma). Burmese rubies are already an established brand in the world. Untreated pigeon blood rubies of Burmese origin (from the Mogok Valley and Mong Shu Province) are the most expensive. A significant share of the world market is now occupied by red corundums of African origin, namely, coming from Mozambique. Among Mozambican rubies there are specimens that are in no way inferior to Burmese rubies in their beauty. Also, mining is carried out in Thailand, Madagascar, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Vietnam and other countries. Rubies from India can reach large sizes, but they usually have poor clarity. By the way, rubies brought from Thailand, in most cases, were not mined in Thailand. It's just that the main center for cutting rubies is located there.

ruby cut

The appearance of stones and their value is often affected by the quality of their cut and the attractiveness of the shape. Symmetry, correct proportions, absence of scratches, pits and mechanical damage in the form of chips and scratches are important. Often, Asian cutters try to “pull out” more mass in the finished stone when cutting, while they make “pulled” pavilions (the lower part of the stone). Some rubies with “drawn” pavilions may resemble acorns in shape, while the “face” of the stone becomes disproportionately small, because. a significant part of the stone mass is concentrated in the lower part. The opposite case is when the cut of the stone has irregular proportions, and the lower part of the stone, on the contrary, has insufficient depth. In this case, a “window” is formed in the stone - a light area in the center of the stone, which does not return light to the eye of the observer. Such stones should cost less than rubies with the correct proportions.

“Practical advice. Evaluate the attractiveness of the shape of the stone and the quality of the ruby ​​cut in general. Pay attention to the symmetry of the stone, whether there is a "color dip" in it in the center, i.e. "window", how much it affects its beauty. Isn't the pavilion too "pulled"? Look at the quality of polishing, the absence of scratches, scratches and chips on the surface of the edges and ribs. Many surface defects can be easily removed by inexpensive recutting or polishing.“

Refining rubies

In the photo: a rare quality untreated ruby ​​weighing 4.03 carats, Burma

Rubies are characterized by the fact that most of them undergo various types ennoblement. Refinement is usually aimed at improving the color, it is also possible to improve their purity with the help of refining. The most common type of ruby ​​refining is heat treatment. At the same time, they are subjected to heating in special furnaces to temperatures in the range of 800-1900 degrees. As a result of heating, the color of natural samples can become more saturated, it is also possible to slightly lighten too dark stones or remove unwanted shades (for example, purple) that reduce the cost. The improvement in clarity in these stones as a result of heating is due to the fact that thin needle inclusions of rutile, which often form noticeable whitish clusters, can be melted. About 90% of all mined rubies are subjected to heat treatment. The cost of an unheated specimen can be about 2-3 times higher than that of a similar quality, but heated one. This is due to the fact that unheated rubies with good color by nature are much rarer stones.

The cheapest of ennobled rubies are heat-treated with cracks filled with lead glass. This refining procedure hides cracks in rubies, the transparency of the stone is significantly improved, and because of this, the color also becomes bright. Glass can occupy even 50% of the volume of the stone. The cost of such ruby-glass composites can be as low as $1-20 per carat. Unfortunately, there are a lot of such "rubies" in Russian jewelry now. Heat treatment and glass-filled heat treatment are the two most common types of ruby ​​refining. Less often they are heat treated in the presence of a flux, then some cracks can "sinter" and be less noticeable. Because Since the factor of the presence or absence of refining greatly affects the price, then in addition to the words of the supplier, it is desirable that the unfinished stone be confirmed by an expert opinion from a well-known independent gemological laboratory.

Varieties of rubies

Natural rubies can also have gemological varieties. For example, they may have optical effects. So star-shaped rubies have the effect of asterism, and on their surface you can observe a 6-ray star, which slides when swaying along the surface of the cabochon. Another effect that can be found in rubies is the cat's-eye effect, when a white band of light glides across the surface of the cabochon while swaying. Both of these effects are associated with the presence of oriented rutile needles in rubies. Such samples are not subjected to heat treatment, otherwise the rutile needles would dissolve from heating. Among the rubies there is a rare variety - "trapiche", which are highly valued by collectors, but are rarely presented in jewelry. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that they have in the cross sections of crystals 6 sectors diverging from the center, separated by rays white color. Trapiche ruby ​​crystals usually come from Burma (Myanmar).

In the photo: a 27.69 carat star ruby ​​cabochon from Vietnam

ruby certificate

In the photo: a fragment of an expert opinion on a Burmese ruby ​​from the GRS laboratory

Rubies, in addition to natural origin, can also be of synthetic origin. They are grown in various ways. They may have good color and excellent purity, but their value is usually very small, because. unlike natural rubies, synthetic rubies are not rare. To confirm the natural origin, as well as the diagnosis of refining, determining the deposit (especially for samples from Burma) and the relationship to the "top" color (color "Pigeon" s Blood "or not), it makes sense to ask sellers for expensive rubies expert opinions from independent gemological laboratories. It should be borne in mind that the opinions of laboratories on the same ruby ​​regarding determining the fact of refining or classifying the color of a stone to the commercial top color "Pigeon" s Blood "may sometimes differ to each other. Therefore, for very expensive auction-grade rubies, you can often see expert opinions from several laboratories. Some of the most reputable laboratories include: GIA, Gubelin Gem Lab, SSEF and AGL. In the Asian market, when selling rubies, expert opinions from the well-known Swiss laboratory GRS are also very popular. In Russia, for diagnostics, you can contact the Gemological Center of Moscow State University.

“Practical advice. Check with the seller about the availability of an expert opinion or certificate for the stone. What is the geographic origin? Has he been refined? If yes, in what way? Expert opinion will help answer these questions. Get as much information from the seller as possible. Let us note that individuals can buy loose rubies in Russia only if the stone has a Russian certificate."

In the first part of the article, we will talk about the color of the ruby, its purity and mass.
- In the third part of the article, we will show you the real prices for the ruby.

Ruby is a mineral, a representative of precious stones. It is a variety of natural corundum, one of the hardest minerals on Earth. It has absolute hardness and is in second place after diamond. Endowed with anisotropic optical properties. The admixture of chromium creates a red color. Stones with this color are called rubies. Blue corundums are sapphires. Ruby is considered the patron saint of strong and courageous people.

The richest ruby ​​deposits in the world

These amazing stones are born at great depths at high temperature and pressure. Theoretically, rubies can be found anywhere on our planet. But you can't get it everywhere. The most famous and richest places in precious stones are ruby ​​deposits in:

• Burma;
• Sri Lanka;
• Thailand.

The rubies of each deposit differ from each other in density and specific gravity, light refraction, and transparency. Samples from Burma are ideal minerals, their quality and beauty are an order of magnitude higher than stones from other deposits. Therefore, their cost is much higher. Now the Burmese deposits are practically empty, for the entire time of their existence there are no worthy copies of rubies left for delivery to the jewelry markets of the world.

Today, India occupies a worthy first place in the extraction of the precious mineral. Kashmir mine produces sapphires excellent quality. There are also red rubies. It is hoped that this deposit will become a center for the extraction of these varieties of corundum.

Other notable ruby ​​deposits

The island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) is famous for its deposits of rare star-shaped gems, and is on the same level as Burmese rubies.

In Thailand, a deposit is being developed with precious minerals, which, although of lower quality, are also included in the group of precious stones that are in demand on the market.

In many countries of Africa, Asia, Australia, America and European countries, painstaking work is also underway to extract a precious gem from the bowels of the Earth, but so far the stones that come across do not reach the border, having crossed which they will receive worldwide recognition. Most specimens cannot be cut and are widely used for industrial purposes.

The ruby ​​deposit is owned by a Western company. Local enterprises have a small share in this huge mechanism and perform mostly labour-intensive work. After extraction, the raw ruby ​​is sent for cutting to the countries of the European Union, Israel or Thailand. This is a complex procedure that requires great experience and the highest precision from the masters. The quality of the product and its final cost depend on how the ruby ​​is cut.

Gradation in quality and price of rubies

The embodiment of perfection is rightfully a fiery red ruby. Connoisseurs of jewelry appreciate this stone quite highly. The cost of some large specimens sometimes exceeds the cost of diamonds of the same size.

Rubies are:

• red with a dark and light shade;
• pink;
• scarlet;
• crimson.

A precious crystal can be orange, purple and black.

There are stones of amazing shape and color intensity. There are slightly cloudy specimens and opaque, star-shaped and with the effect of a cat's eye. Some types of crystals are not cut, but polished, giving them a convex shape. Burmese rubies are still famous for especially beautiful and expensive specimens. The price of one carat can start from 50 and reach 5000 US dollars.

Indian corundum differs from the stones of other deposits in a light shade and the presence of cracks and specks in the stone. Because of this, the cost of stones is much lower.

Tanzania rubies are particularly dark and solid. This refers the mineral to the second grade. But some stones have a bright garnet hue, and after cutting, garnet rubies become worthy of attention.

Precious crystals from Kenya, Madagascar, Afghanistan have amazing reflections and effects, although they are much inferior in value.

Modern technologies make it possible to grow red corundum artificially. The resulting crystal is not inferior to natural ruby ​​in its own way. appearance and quality. Synthetic mineral is widely used for industrial purposes. To distinguish a natural ruby ​​from a man-made ruby, it is enough to dip it into milk - the surface becomes pink.

Features of mining rubies

The extraction of precious rubies in industrial volumes is carried out in alluvial placers, where the density of crystals is very high. Rubies and sapphires are extracted manually. The method of mining rubies is as simple as hundreds of years ago. To get started, entrepreneurs must obtain a license, which costs a lot of money.

They dig deepenings, which eventually develop into mines and adits. Surface-mounted pumps constantly pump out water. As soon as the pump stops, the water will begin to arrive quickly and fill the shaft. Air is forced into the shaft.

The rock, which is mostly clay, rises to the surface in baskets, where it is washed and precious stones are found. You can dig for several months, but find nothing. People in such fields work as families.

Some exhaustedly dig, others process the found specimens of stones. This is due to the fact that the found uncut rubies are semi-precious specimens, and do not give an idea of ​​the actual value of the stone before it is processed. If the ruby ​​turns out to be pure, then a significant amount of money can be obtained from its sale.

Mining rubies is very hard and sometimes dangerous work. Crystals are mined in rocks at depths sometimes reaching 30 meters. But for the poor it is the only way out and way of survival.

Gemstone Processing

Before putting up for sale, all natural specimens undergo a special corrective processing:

• thermal effect on the crystal;
• to obtain a rich red color, the ruby ​​is treated with beryllium;
• cracks and voids in the body of the ruby ​​are filled with transparent liquid glass.

The crystal is ennobled, giving it a smooth surface and a rich shade.

When admitted for correction, a ruby ​​may have minor defects that do not particularly affect the color of the stone and its transparency. Such instances of the mineral are called pure samples.

Another type of precious stones with significant cracks and inclusions is classified as impure stones. Both groups of crystals are subject to the correction procedure. Natural corundums get an attractive look and go on sale. The price of the product will be significantly lower than the natural, unprocessed and high-quality copy.

Where rubies are used

The scope of synthetic ruby ​​is industry. Due to its strength, it is used on the surface of sandpaper, in watch mechanisms. Synthetic rubies are used as an active medium in the manufacture of lasers.

IN folk medicine ruby is credited medicinal properties. Carrying with you helps a good sleep, strengthens eyesight, reduces back pain. Asian sages considered the ruby ​​to be a healer of heart diseases, as well as able to improve brain function and give energy to a person.

Alternative medicine classifies the ruby ​​as a remedy that can prevent epileptic strokes and restore nervous system after stress.

Many peoples of the world attribute to the mineral magical properties.

Ruby is the king of gems. And the main purpose of this precious magnificent stone is to use it as an expensive decoration in combination with others. precious metals and minerals.

A stone of passion and violent energy. Perhaps it's all about the color, but this is the mineral from which it is impossible to take your eyes off. It is possible that this is why the royal people of many kingdoms turned their gaze to the “scarlet flower” of the bowels of the earth.

Majestic rubies adorned the royal regalia of many states. What is the “Polish Eagle” hairpin, which is kept in the Louvre, worth? Or the ruby ​​Burmese tiara of Elizabeth II? What about the majestic Monomakh's Cap? It is decorated with 8 large rubies, on each of the plates.

In the old days, the ruby ​​was called, in the European manner, yahont. And the older our world becomes, the more attractive the stone seems to us.

Yakhont mines

The main deposits are India, Thailand, Vietnam, Tazania, Sri Lanka and Australia.

But the most valuable are those that were mined in the mines of Myanmar. Imagine not just a dark red transparent ruby, but with a bluish tint - it is called "the color of pigeon blood."

Gold earrings with rubies and diamonds (go to the SUNLIGHT catalog)

Dark rubies of a noble burgundy color are found in a mine in the city of Mogou. And near the city of Mong Shu, precious stones of amazing purple, blue and black colors are mined in the core, with red ruby ​​edging.

In India, star-shaped rubies come across - if you bring one to the light, you can see a star. Pink as ripe raspberries, specimens can be found in Sri Lanka. And the minerals shimmering in the light are mined in Africa.

To get cut, stones are most often sent to Europe, Thailand and Israel. Jewelers get a difficult job, the ruby ​​is rarely pure, without inclusions of other materials. These inclusions are removed, cracks are glued together, voids are filled with glass mass.

The price of ruby ​​passion

Rubies are not only the brightest stones, but also one of the most expensive ones, even ahead of diamonds in value. If we are talking about a high-quality, clean and transparent ruby, then the price can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars and more.

The most expensive sample, called Sunrise, was sold at Sotheby's for nearly $30.5 million. That is about a little over 1 million per carat! And today it is a record.

The second record holder is the largest ruby ​​- its size is 440 carats. Found recently in Greenland. It is still nameless, but it is not difficult to guess that such a stone will be given a name to match.

There are also cheap, low-quality rubies, such as are often sold in Indian markets. Their cost is about 25 rupees per carat (less than $1). A bracelet made of such stones will cost about 2,000 rupees (about $30).

The magic of red stones

The fiery red stones could have been the eyes of a dragon in the past, according to an ancient oriental legend. Fascinating, hypnotizing - if huge snakes existed, they would definitely look at the world with two ruby ​​​​drops.

Already 2000 years ago, people began to attribute magical properties to the ruby. For example, it was believed that the ruby ​​enhances the good and bad qualities of nature: an evil and domineering person with such an ornament can become an even greater tyrant, and vice versa.

The ruby ​​is still used as a talisman to protect itself from the evil eye, envy and slander. The red mineral will help those who are overcome by doubts and uncertainty, will return harmony, peace and vitality. It is a stone of health, prosperity, greatness and success.

Aries such an amulet will return mental strength and help get out of a depressive mood. For Scorpio, this stone will give confidence and push to new beginnings. Gemini will give complaisance and restraint. Lions ruby ​​color will help in achieving their goals. But Aquarius and Virgos need to be careful with such a stone: they may not be able to withstand its strength.

Synthetic ruby

The first synthetic ruby ​​was created by the French scientist Marc Goudin in the 19th century.

Now artificial stones produced on an industrial scale. Rubies are grown from a mineral called corundum.

Silver necklace with cubic zirkonia and synthetic rubies (go to the SUNLIGHT catalog)

Such a ruby ​​looks like a natural one, and chemical composition similar. But the product is initially transparent, and then it is painted with chromium particles.

How to choose a ruby

The price is affected by both weight (carats) and color. Ruby shades can range from burgundy to raspberry. But the reference and most expensive stone is pure red (Pigeon's Blood), which contains a lot of chromium and little iron.

SL RUBY jewelry collection (go to SUNLIGHT catalog)

To understand the purity of a stone, look at it with a magnifying glass and pay attention to the structure: it should be heterogeneous, interspersed. Cracks and cloudy areas are formed due to crystalline inclusions (zircon, apatite, boehmite, rutile). A perfectly clean sample should make you wonder: is it a fake?

By the way, specialized homology centers are engaged in professional testing and certification of gemstones: GRS, AIGS, GIA, SSEF, IGI, AGTA, EGL, HRD.

How to distinguish a fake

No matter how much you want to leave quickly with a piece of jewelry dear to your heart, take a few minutes and:

• carefully look at how the stone shines and what color it is. At different angles, it should change from dark to light;
• slide the stone across the glass. If a reddish mark remains, most likely the stone is artificial;
• try scratching the ruby ​​itself, for example, with a coin. Do not be afraid, real natural stone will not suffer;
• lower the sample into the glass: it should appear glare. And if you pour milk into a glass, it will turn pinkish;
• look at the cracks: straight and shiny? In front of you is a synthetic, in natural stone they are zigzag and matte;

Garnet, tourmaline, rubellite and spinel can also be given out for a ruby. Mineral reserves are decreasing, which means that there are more fakes and the price of rubies will only grow. So it's a good investment.

Deposits of noble corundum and rubies are associated with magmatic - alkaline basic lamprophyres and basalts, syenite and miaskite pegmatites, plagioclasites, skarn marbles, silicate endoskarns, high-alumina gneisses and amphibolites. An important place is occupied by eluvial, eluvial-deluvial and deluvial-alluvial placers. Each of the industrial-genetic types has its own typomorphic features of corundum (crystal shape, color, inclusions), which also have diagnostic value. The Yogo-Gulch deposit (Montana, USA) belongs to the igneous type in alkaline basic lamprophyres.
Ruby and sapphire deposits in Australia (Queensland and New South Wales) are associated with basalts. These deposits, as well as deluvial-alluvial placers, are currently the main source of sapphires. In the mid-1970s, their share in world production amounted to 80%. Sapphire crystals in the form of truncated ditrigonal pyramids with poorly defined faces have different colors: green, orange-yellow, yellow sometimes with asterism, as well as stones with alexandrite effect; stones dark blue differ in pronounced dichroism in blue-green tones (distinguishable even by eye without any instruments).

Pneumatolith-hydrothermal deposits of sapphires and rubies in Tanzania (Umba and others) are associated with plagioclasites and their micaceous varieties occurring in ultrabasic rocks. Tabular or barrel-shaped stones up to 4 cm form granular clusters and phenocrysts. They contain inclusions of apatite, zircon, garnet, pyrrhotite; rubies are characterized by inclusions of rutile, graphite, pargasite, spinel, zoisite, etc.
In Russia, in the Polar Urals, there is a deposit of rubies Makar Ruz, where they are found in mica rocks in the form of small (up to 5 mm) crystals; there are crystals up to 10 cm across, but they are opaque or translucent and fissured. Ruby mineralization in the Polar Urals, in the Ray-Iz massif, along the middle course of the Makar-Ruz stream, in the ultrabasic zone, the richest in chromium-spinels. The deposits have typical zoning for such bodies.
In the center is plagioclasite (obviously, former granite) and further - reaction zones, for example, a mica zone with ruby ​​up to 1 m thick or more. Ruby forms barrel-shaped crystals 1-3 cm, less often up to 12 cm. Sometimes asterism is fixed in the ruby. Behind the zone of ruby-bearing mica, at a greater distance from granite, an amphibole zone is noted, further - talc. The resemblance to Sysert is very great. Unfortunately, the body of Makar-Ruz turned out to be relatively small.
The Paradise-Iz ruby ​​is said to sometimes have asterism. This is an exceptionally beautiful effect, and stones that have asterism are much more valuable than stones of the same quality, but without asterism. Even a little transparent stones, but with asterism are considered as precious. The phenomenon of asterism lies in the fact that on a stone polished with a cabochon (an oval insert without facets), when illuminated, a bright six-ray, somewhat iridescent star is clearly visible. Asterism is caused by numerous tiny needle-like inclusions regularly oriented in a ruby ​​crystal. The reflection of light from these inclusions gives the effect of a bright star. Asterism can also be obtained from an artificial ruby, if the ruby ​​is crystallized with titanium oxide. At high temperatures this oxide dissolves in ruby, but when the crystal is cooled, it precipitates from the solid solution in the form of needles of an independent mineral - rutile, the needles of which are located parallel to the main crystallographic directions of the ruby ​​and thereby cause asterism. The nature of natural ruby ​​asterism is not always clear.

Ruby deposits in Thailand

Of exceptional interest are the descriptions of the ruby ​​deposits of Thailand and the arriving parts of Kampuchea. Ruby has been mined here since prehistoric times. Geologists, hitting ruby ​​deposits at the beginning of this century, were amazed. Ruby, as it turned out, occurs here in young basalts in the form of corroded large grains. A thick clayey weathering crust is developed on the surface of the basalts, and this greatly facilitates the extraction of the ruby; all the usual minerals of basalt - feldspar, pyroxene and glass - completely pass into very small particles of clay, easily washed off by water, while practically unchanged ruby ​​crystals-grains remain large and are easily washed out of this peculiar eluvial placer.
The reason for the appearance of ruby ​​in the basalts of Thailand and Kampuchea was completely incomprehensible. In contrast to the composition of sapphire-bearing lamprophyres and mica, where there is excess alumina, the composition of ruby-bearing basalts is completely normal. It is not clear why the ruby ​​suddenly began to crystallize in them?
Experimental data obtained in last years seems to help understand this phenomenon. It turned out that feldspar rich in alumina and calcium, and the only one that is present in true basalts, can only crystallize at relatively low temperatures and pressures. If the pressures exceed 10 kbar and the temperature is 1500°C, then corundum crystallizes from the melt instead of feldspar. A pressure of 10 kbar is reached in the earth's crust at depths of the order of 30 km or more. At these depths, most likely, temperatures above 1500 ° C dominate. modern ideas, this is exactly the depth where basaltic magma is formed and from where it rises to the crater of the volcano. Thus, there is nothing unexpected in the assumption that corundum will precipitate in basaltic magma, which begins to crystallize at depths. At the same time, it is quite obvious that crystallization at these depths will proceed very slowly and the crystals will turn out to be very perfect, that is, they will be obvious gems. But in order to preserve a precious stone in basalt, its outpouring must take place under special, completely unique conditions. During modern volcanic eruptions, lava almost always flows from intermediate chambers located under volcanoes at a relatively shallow depth. Liquid magma exists in such chambers for quite a long time. Naturally, here, at low pressures and temperatures, corundum in normal basalt will be unstable, it will dissolve in the melt, and feldspar will crystallize instead. Apparently, the history of all ordinary basalts was just such, and there are no traces of corundum in them. The peculiarity of the Cambodian and Thai basalts is that here the lava poured onto the surface not from intermediate chambers, but directly from great depths. The rise of the lava was so fast that the previously released corundum did not have time to dissolve. However, the dissolution of the ruby ​​has certainly already begun; the descriptions indicate that ruby ​​grains do not form regular crystals.

Ruby deposits in Burma

Ruby deposits in the Mogok region of Burma are confined to skarn marbles in contact with granite or granite-pegmatite dikes. There are remarkable, very rich placers of precious stone, formed during the erosion of ancient dolomites. Among other precious stones, precious corundums are found in these placers. Their origin is not yet clear, but, judging by all the available data, the process of corundum formation in dolomites by its nature practically does not differ from corundum formation in granites intersecting ultramafic rocks.
The English geologist A. Wells, who studied both the Mogok deposits and the corundum deposits of Sri Lanka, writes that the deposits are confined to those places where syenite bodies were intruded into crystalline limestones and interacted with them to form mica with corundum. The erosion of such formations gave rise to the famous Burmese placers. The Mogok region with an area of ​​about 400 km 2 is the most ancient region of gemstone mining. Until 1931, the annual production of rubies in this area reached 150 thousand carats. Rubies are found in the form of granular, nest-like clusters or individual crystals interspersed in the main rock - marble. Industrial mining of rubies is carried out from placers formed during the destruction of ruby-bearing skarn marbles. Ruby crystals of a prismatic or barrel-shaped appearance are quite large. The color is red, pink, often uneven. There are rubies with asterism.
The peculiarity of Burmese rubies is the presence a large number inclusions of acicular rutile, forming "silk" (with parallel arrangement of individuals) and mesh (when they intersect at an angle of 60 °), spinels,

One of the most sought after gemstones has been known for thousands of years. Then people could not distinguish minerals similar in color, classifying all red minerals as rubies. The ancient Indians considered it the stone of the Sun and called it nothing more than "the leader of the gems."

In European countries, the ruby ​​was the patron of the brave and courageous, knights devoted to ideals. In the countries of the East, the red stone was considered the blood of the Dragon and symbolized vital energy that brings strength, love and health.

Stone properties

Ruby is one of the varieties of red corundum. The hue of the mineral varies from bright pink to deep red and depends on the amount of chromium impurities. The most valuable and rare corundums are considered to be "the color of pigeon's blood", which have a purple hue.

Ruby is a gemstone of the first category and is similar in composition to sapphire. This mineral is second in strength only to diamond. Ruby has a hardness index of 9 on the Mohs scale.

Red corundum crystals have a high degree of transparency and brilliance. No other precious mineral has such indicators, except for diamond. Due to these properties, a large ruby ​​can even cost more than a similarly sized diamond.

In appearance, the ruby ​​resembles a red spinel and is sometimes distinguishable from it only under a microscope. Also, red corundum is easily confused with garnet, zircon-hyacinth, topaz and tourmaline.

Minerals with rutile inclusions similar to stars are of high value. These stones are very rare and therefore expensive.

In the middle of the 19th century, a method for obtaining artificial rubies was discovered. Currently, artificial red corundum is used in the manufacture of watches and jewelry, as well as in quantum electronics as a laser element.

How to determine the quality of a ruby

Price natural ruby is quite high, so when buying jewelry with this precious stone, you should not rush.

Centuries later, even some rubies of royal regalia are exposed. Yes, as a result contemporary research counterfeit rubies were found in jewelry belonging to the royal family of England. The famous "Black Prince's Ruby", which adorns the British crown, turned out to be just a red spinel. What to say about our time. However, there are three ways to help you determine the quality of a mineral.

1 way. When buying ruby ​​jewelry, be sure to look at the stone not only in artificial, but also in daylight. Rubies good quality in any light they are almost the same shade, while lower-quality samples in daylight become pale pink.

2 way. Examine the stone under a magnifying glass. Natural corundum has inclusions and slight imperfections, while synthetic stones look as clear as glass.

3 way. Drop on corundum lemon juice. If the stone is real, it will remain unchanged. Otherwise, muddy inclusions will appear on the stone.

In the case of buying very expensive jewelry with rubies, it is better to contact a professional gemologist who will evaluate the quality of the stone using special equipment. Also, experts advise purchasing products with precious stones from reputable manufacturers who can provide all necessary information about the stone.

Ruby mining

There are many deposits of rubies. Red corundum is not mined except in Antarctica. But only 1% of the mined minerals are of gem quality.

Until now, rubies are mined using ancient technologies known for many hundreds of years. This time-consuming process is carried out manually by washing sand and pebbles. Often stones are taken directly from the bottom of the rivers.

Rubies of Asian origin are of great value. Burma is considered the oldest deposit. It is Burmese rubies that are valued above the rest due to their rarest color. Indian ruby ​​placers are also known, which are also considered very ancient. For many centuries, these stones have been used to inlay jewelry of high society.

Now, in addition to India and Burma, the main exporters of red corundum are Thailand, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. In Russia, the extraction of this stone is carried out only in the Polar Urals.

Thai rubies have a brownish tint. They are mined in Changwad at a depth of 8 meters. Corundum mined in Sri Lanka is usually a bright strawberry color. The locals call these stones "illam".

Choice of stars

Beauty knows no time. From the ancient jewels of the royal family, rubies have moved into the collections of leading designers. Nowadays, the stone adorns not only luxurious works jewelry art, but also products that any woman can afford.

Usually high quality red corundums are given a brilliant or cabochon cut. The most common setting for rubies is white or red gold. If the product is inlaid different types stones, the combination of ruby ​​and diamond is considered the most elegant and brilliant.

Star beauties often choose ruby ​​accessories for going out. Among the eminent fans of this stone are Jennifer Lopez, Miley Cyrus, Natalie Portman and Kelly Osbourne. But Jessica Simpson received a ruby ​​ring from the famous football player Eric Johnson along with a marriage proposal.