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Ruby. How much does a real ruby cost and where can I buy it? Where is the ruby stone mined?

This solid mineral is composed of aluminum and oxygen (Al2O3) and occurs in nature in various forms and degrees of purity. And only a small part of the found crystals is classified as a ruby, due to its special color.

Deep underground at high temperature and pressure, the rock is transformed into stones of wondrous beauty - rubies. The process of ruby formation varies by location, but in most cases it occurs at a depth of 10-29 km at a temperature of about 450 ° C, when sedimentary rocks - silts and shales - are transformed into metamorphic rock.

Ruby is related to sapphire, which is also a variety of corundum. Therefore, quite often both gemstones are mined in the same deposit.

Ruby mining sites

There are a few large deposits ruby in the world. The most famous are Myanmar (Burma) and Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Rubies of the highest quality have been mined in Myanmar for centuries. Burmese rubies have intense color, silky luster and perfect clarity. There are two main ruby deposits in Myanmar: Mogok Village and Mong Hsu. It is said that rubies have been mined in Mogok for almost a thousand years. Development in Mong-Hsu began relatively recently - in the 90s. 20th century.

Since time immemorial, sapphires, rubies and other precious stones have been mined in Sri Lanka. Even the Etruscans, and later the Greeks and Romans, were eager to seize rich deposits, and the Indians called Sri Lanka Ratnadeepa, "Island of precious stones." Rubies from Sri Lanka have a more pronounced brilliance than rubies from other deposits and a high degree of purity. But they are lighter and contain additional pink or purple tones.

The most valuable ruby is a deep rich red color with shades of blue.

Rubies are also mined in the USA, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Tanzania and Kenya.

Rubies vary in color depending on the region where they were mined. There are pink varieties of rubies on the Asian market. In Europe and North America, red corundum is used to produce stones in medium to dark deep red tones.

Another important feature of the ruby is the highlighting of red tones in daylight. This helps to distinguish the ruby from other red gemstones and to determine its origin. After all, for example, Burmese rubies, formed in marble, have such a glow, while Thai and Cambodian rubies, born in basalt rocks, do not.

A stone of passion and violent energy. Perhaps it's all about 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 Hat? 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 ruby magical properties. 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? Before 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.

Delightful ruby color, exquisite shade, amazing radiance and high quality leave no one indifferent! There are many legends and exciting stories about him, so it is not surprising that every woman would like to become the owner of such precious stone. Since this stone is one of the rarest, it becomes even more attractive and charming in the eyes of women. But few people think about its origin and place of extraction, although this is important in its value and quality.

Where is ruby mined in the world

Ruby is not mined in every country. obtained in Burma, and their feature is an amazing color: a deep red with a bluish tinge. For many years it was believed that this is the only location of the ruby. However, over time, it was found in other countries: Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The advantage of the stone found in these countries is a piercing brilliance that does not fade and does not lose strength in any light.

A small amount of ruby is also found in Madagascar, Pakistan, USA, Brazil, Australia, Colombia and Tanzania. Even in Russia, deposits of this precious stone have been found. For example, in the Sigangoyskoye field and in the Urals.

Gem obtained in different countries, even with the same processing has distinctive features.

Once mined, gemstones are sent to Thailand, Israel or Europe. There is a high-quality ruby cut. This process consists in filling the voids in the stone with glass mass, which make up from 30 to 70% of the ruby. The next step is considered "natural healing", which consists in the removal of mineral inclusions through heat treatment. After that, “artificial healing” begins, with the help of which all inclusions are removed and cracks are glued together. The process of cutting a ruby is quite difficult and requires skill, experience and accuracy. The final result is an indicator of the quality and value of the ruby.

Gold earrings with diamonds and rubies, SL; gold ring with diamonds and rubies, SL (link prices)

Features of the ruby found in different countries

The Burmese ruby has a “pigeon blood color”, which makes this stone popular and expensive.
The Thai ruby is called the Siamese ruby because of its brownish tint. It is very similar in value to that mined in Burma.
Rubies, which are found in Sri Lanka, are distinguished by a harmonious combination of red with light shades. As a result, the stone turns out to be the color of ripe raspberries.
Although African rubies are not considered the most valuable, stones mined in Kenya and Tanzania shimmer and change color when exposed to light.
Vietnamese ruby is different purple tint which makes it special and attractive.

Thanks to these features, as well as the rarity and difficulty of mining, ! Its presence on the accessory is an indicator of luxury and wealth. It is the ruby that adorns crowns, wedding necklaces and expensive outfits that make you fall in love at first sight.

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Not everything is a ruby that is red

Fake rubies can be not only jewelry nanocrystals, but also other natural minerals. Here is a large list of those stones that especially cunning suppliers and manufacturers can pass off as real scarlet corundum:

Pink sapphire is a stone from the same mineralogical family.
Almandine, pyrope is the hardest of the garnets. It bears the historical name "Alabanda ruby".
Pink spinel, referred to as "ruby balle".
Red spinel, also known as ruby spinel.
Crystals of pink topaz, which has the trade name "Brazilian ruby".
Cuprite or "copper ruby".
Red tourmaline - rubellite, bears the commercial name "Siberian ruby".
The infamous “Geneva ruby” is a synthetic crystal obtained in Europe at the end of the 19th century. The secret has not yet been revealed, but most are inclined to believe that this is an alloy of powder and crumbs of natural corundum.
Red sphalerite or ruby blende is a rock that can be difficult to recognize. To fake a precious stone, only rare crystals that can be cut are suitable. They are mined in Spain.
Ruby Vernel is a synthetic stone.
Rose quartz crystals - "anconian ruby".
Composite ruby is a skillful alloy of natural stone and glass. The purpose of such a manipulation is to increase the weight, and, accordingly, the price of the original real crystal.
Glass painted in rich red tones is the cheapest imitation, short-lived and easily recognizable.

As you can see, there are a lot of minerals and artificial materials that can be mistaken for a genuine gem with the naked eye. Therefore, it is so important to know the methods and techniques that help to distinguish natural ruby from artificial.

"Garnet deception": how to determine the authenticity of a ruby

Usually, a variety of garnet - pyrope or almandine - is given out as a genuine stone. With a set of certain knowledge and tools, finding out the truth will be a simple matter. Here are some tips on how to tell a ruby from a garnet:

If it is possible to use a special Haidinger magnifying glass, then the minerals can be distinguished on the basis of dichroism. In static polarized light, corundum crystals will change color to a darker one. This is clearly visible when changing the angle of view. Grenades do not have this property.
In ultraviolet rays, it is even easier to determine a real ruby: it luminesces with an orange glow. Pyropes and almandines do not exhibit such luminosity.
An ordinary magnifying glass is also a good helper, as long as the lighting is of high quality. If you look closely at a ruby crystal under such conditions, then needle-shaped inclusions are perfectly distinguishable. And with a stone in the form of a cabochon, they still give the optical effect of a star of 6 rays.
The uniformity of the natural color of stones is an important characteristic in their distinguishability. Natural stone is heterogeneous, while garnet has an even distribution of color.
The strength of the ruby is very high, its crystal can be scratched, for example, topaz or crystal. Whereas the pomegranate is able to "inherit" only on the crystal surface.
The sparkle of a ruby is akin to a diamond, while a garnet has a soft, oily sheen.

Here are the main features that distinguish such gems that are similar in appearance, but completely different in terms of mineral rock. These tips are quite applicable not only to garnet imitation, but also to other natural stones who are trying to pass off as a natural ruby.

Nanocrystal, glass or natural gem: how to distinguish a fake

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Synthetic analogues of stone and glass fakes are much more often used to replace a natural gem. But there is key points, based on the properties of a natural mineral and allowing you to understand how the imitation differs from the original.

Thus, artificially created crystals have a perfect shape, while natural stones are characterized by natural individuality in the form of natural defects, bubbles, inclusions, etc. Also, a real gem has some weight, unlike ordinary glass. If the stone is slightly shaken in the palm of your hand, you can feel its mass, heaviness.

Methods for the synthesis of artificial crystals

Artificial crystals have been produced on an industrial scale since the beginning of the 20th century. Until now, this technology is based on 4 methods:

Vernel and Czochralski methods. They make it possible to mass-produce cheap red corundum. Gems grown according to these principles are easily recognized - by curved growth lines.
The other two production methods, flux and hydrothermal, are very expensive. Their peculiarity is that it is difficult for a non-specialist to distinguish synthetic flux or hydrothermal corundums from natural stones. Therefore, when buying a very expensive copy, it is better to resort to the help of a qualified gemologist.

Ways for home conditions

Of the well-known original tricks, how to check the naturalness of a stone at home, is its contact with milk. You just need to immerse the gem in the liquid and wait. The natural mineral will give the milk a pinkish hue. A fake will not affect the color in any way.

Another good advice how to distinguish a real ruby is to hold the gem for a while on the skin. Experts are not joking when they recommend putting a pebble to the eyelid - this is the most sensitive area in temperature. The analog heats up quickly, the natural mineral will give off coolness for a long time.

These tips and knowledge are tested by experience. But in order not to have to pick up a magnifying glass and dip a gem in milk, it is better to learn: good stones (and ruby, of course, among them) and mass market are incompatible concepts. Each expensive natural crystal is an individuality that does not tolerate flow and conveyor. Therefore, the price of a real ruby cannot be easy. And buying it must be accompanied by a certificate from a reputable gemological center.

At great depths, under great pressure and temperature, minerals of amazing beauty are born - rubies. Their formation varies from a certain deposit where rubies are mined, but most often it is carried out at a temperature of 450 degrees and at a depth of up to 30 km. As a result of transformation, sedimentary rocks turn into metamorphic rock.

Despite the fact that ruby deposits theoretically exist on all continents except Antarctica, the extraction of the precious gem is far from being carried out everywhere. The most famous ruby deposits at the moment are located in the southeast of Asia (Burma), on the island of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and in Thailand.

Burmese rubies are an undeniable ideal, they surpass other specimens in quality and beauty, and, accordingly, they are more expensive. It was there that the largest and most famous ruby \u200b\u200bwas discovered at one time, whose weight reached four hundred carats. True, in its original state it has not survived to this day - it was split into three parts.

But now, to our great regret, the Burmese ruby deposits are almost completely developed. No wonder, because for so many years they were the source of the best gems in the world! The most promising area where ruby is currently mined is India. The well-known Kashmir deposits in India, which supply the finest sapphires to the jewelry market, can also be the source of the finest rubies. Red rubies of excellent quality have already been discovered there, and the deposits of the island of Sri Lanka have already managed to become famous for their rarest star gems.