Jewelry Articles

Ruby and Wedding Rings

Ruby, just like sapphire, comes from the corundum family. Ruby has a different characteristics compared to sapphire.

Dating from ancient Egypt to India to modern civilization, this beautiful colored gemstone has a vast history. It has many legends and myths, which some still follow today. The ancient Egyptians believed the ruby was the stone of love. They also believed wearing a ruby that touched the skin would bring a person great happiness and good fortune. Ancient Egyptians highly valued rubies because it symbolized prosperity, health, beauty and happiness.

In the language of Sanskrit, the word used for ruby was ratnaraj, "King of Gems". Just like the ancient Egyptians, ruby was a highly prized gemstone and in the past, more highly valued than diamonds. The people in India believed rubies helped their owners live in peace with their enemies. While in Burma (Myanmar), the warriors believed wearing rubies made them invincible during battle. The Orient believed rubies symbolized the beauty of the soul. Ruby Wedding Rings These legends also transferred to medieval Europeans who believed the same and wore the ruby for the same reasons. In modern and Western civilization, ruby is considered to bring fidelity and celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary. All of these legends and myths display the great use of ruby in wedding rings and engagement rings. Rubies encompass the feeling of love from their myths and legends to their deep vivid red color.

The word ruby comes from the Latin word "ruber" which means red. A great way to characterize this colored gemstone. Jewelers are very careful to characterize pink, purple, or orange looking corundum as rubies, because rubies are generally the true red color. A ruby with a pure, deep vivid red is considered the more expensive rubies. People can find rubies in lighter reds or reddish-purple colors. Just like sapphire, ruby is 9.0 on the Mohs scale, which makes it, along with sapphires, the next hardest stone after diamond.

Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania are among the most important ruby deposit sites. Other popular deposit sites include Afghanistan, Kenya, Madagascar, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil, and more.

Using ruby in wedding rings and engagement rings is great because the hardness of the stone allows for people to use them on a daily basis and for the long run. The stone will not scratch easily, like other colored gemstones. It is like using sapphires in engagement rings, wedding rings and anniversary rings. Also, rubies have a many different symbolic meanings associating with love, happines, and more. As mentioned above, many people celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary with a ruby symbolizing loyalty and happiness.

Just like sapphires, rubies are safe in ultrasonic cleaners, steam cleaning, and soapy warm water. View More