June 30th, 2009
Ruby: A Birthstone for July
Ruby is probably the best known of July’s birthstones. It has traditionally been considered one of the precious gemstones (along with diamond, emerald, and sapphire) - although in recent years, gemologists have turned away from the terms “precious” and “semi-precious” gemstones. (Some stones traditionally considered “semi-precious” - such as a green variety of garnet called tsavorite - can sometimes be worth more than “precious” stones!)
Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum. Sapphire is also a variety of corundum, and it includes a huge array of colors, including blue, white, green, and pink. Ruby owes its color to trace amounts of chromium in its crystal structure. Corundum has a hardness of 9 on Moh’s scale, second only to diamond. Because of its hardness, it is commonly used as an abrasive (sandpaper). Corundum is found in a variety of geologic settings - sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.
From mineralminers.com: “Ruby: is said to inspire love, and to enhance creativity, wisdom and spirituality. It is also said to give confidence, self-esteem and courage, and to stimulate leadership qualities. Ruby is also said to have been helpful in treating heart and circulatory disease.”
