It is exactly those flaws that make rubies valuable. Some of the most impressive rubies have a visible reflection of light that bounces off the imperfection or ‘silk’ and forms what is called a star with 3 or 6 points. But what makes a ruby is that it must be some form of red hue. If it is not a variant of red it is then a sapphire…which explains why we often hear “rubies and sapphires” in the same breath as if they were the same. They are, except for color.

Most of the gems in ruby rings today will have been treated with heat to enhance the color because the richest reds in natural rubies are extremely rare and so costly you’d have to be royalty to afford them. However, amongst the admissible red hues of a ruby are such variants of reddish-orange, reddish-purple-violet and light reds that appear almost pink. This possibility of a pink ruby leads to a little confusion amongst non jewelers because there is also a Sri Lankan pink sapphire which may be confused with this gemstone.

And then there’s a stone called spinel, which is often found with, or near, rubies, and although not a true ruby, is close both in appearance and value – in fact the world famous Timur Ruby mentioned above, long thought to be a ruby and so was named, is in fact a spinel.

Gold Ruby Ring

The best metal to accent a ruby is gold. This is true because gold is yellow and if the ruby has some blue, creating a purple hue, then by setting it into yellow, (which neutralized blue) the ruby ring will appear to be a richer, truer red. That is why a gold ruby ring is the most popular choice around the world.

Antique Ruby Ring

Antique ruby rings are also sought after, firstly because they exist (since these rings have been made since pre medieval times) and therefore can be VERY antique, and second, there is something special about a gem with history, especially if it will be used as a ruby engagement ring to which you can add your own bit of history.