For thousand’s of years now, Ruby has been considered a gemstone of luxury. Today, it is one of the highest prices (per carat) commanding gemstone. According to GIA.edu, in 2015, a 25.59 carat ruby ring sold for £ 20.7 million at the rate of £ 810, 690 per carat, the highest ever for any coloured gemstone. According to ancient Sanskrit literature, Ruby was considered ‘ratnaraj’ or the king of gemstones.

The major ruby producing countries of the world are Myanmar, Thailand, Madagascar, Tanzania, Afghanistan, some parts of USA, Sri Lanka. The rubies are also classified on the basis of the region these were produced from. The classifications are:

1. The Burmese ruby, found in Myanmar formerly known as Burma. These are the most valuable and sought-after category of rubies. Slight blemishes or smudges are what characterize these rubies. The colour ranges from pigeon blood red which slightly on the purplish side to dark red.
2. The Afghan ruby, found in the Jagdelek and Badakshan areas in Afghanistan. The colour ranges from light red to maroon.
3. The African ruby, found in the nations in the African continent namely, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar. The rubies forum in these regions are not of the best quality but are fairly good. The colour is more towards the orangish shades.
4. Sri Lankan ruby, found on the island nation are similar to the high-quality Burmese ruby. It has a strong fluorescence and asterism is common.
5. Thai and Cambodian ruby, these stones command high value due to exceptional inherit clarity. The content of iron is also high in these stones, hence the garnet-like colour.

The folklore suggest that Ruby is a stone that bestows the wearer good health and prosperity. The stone can be found engraved on the swords of kings and military commanders, because it was believed that the soldier who carries ruby to the battle is invincible. Ruby is one of the Healing stones and is said to stimulate creativity and is said to strengthen-ones emotional and physical strength.

Rubies make a great gift for a 40^th wedding anniversary. The toughness of ruby stone makes it a good option for engagement rings. A heart shaped or pear-shaped ruby as the centre stone of an engagement ring can definitely sweep your loved one off their feet. If you have design or style in mind, connect with us at Sparkling Stones and we shall bring it to life with the best quality fair trade rubies.