Rubies can command the highest per-carat price of any colored stone. This makes ruby one of the most important gems in the colored stone market. In its purest form, the mineral corundum is colorless. Trace elements that become part of the mineral’s crystal structure cause variations in its color. Chromium is the trace element that causes ruby’s red color.
RATNARAJ
In Sanskrit, ruby is ratnaraj, meaning the king of gems.
MOGOK
Myanmar’s legendary valley of rubies; the source of many of the world’s most fabulous gems.
$32.4 MILLION
On May 12, 2015, a 25.59-carat ruby ring sold for $1,266,901 per carat, setting a new record at auction for a colored gemstone.
FACTS
- Mineral: Corundum
- Chemical composition: Al2O3
- Color: Red
- Refractive index: 1.762 to 1.770
- Birefringence: 0.008 to 0.010
- Specific gravity: 4.00 (+/- 0.05)
- Mohs Hardness: 9
QUALITY FACTORS
The prices of fine-quality rubies have been breaking auction records.
COLOR
Color is the most significant factor affecting a ruby’s value: Fine gems are a pure, vibrant red to slightly purplish red.
CLARITY
If a ruby’s inclusions affect its transparency or brilliance they reduce the gem’s value significantly.
CUT
Rubies are commonly fashioned as mixed cuts, which have brilliant-cut crowns and step-cut pavilions.
CARAT WEIGHT
Fine-quality rubies over one carat are very rare and price goes up significantly as size increases.