Here we are with another exciting blog about the gemstone that owns everyone's hearts, Ruby! Ruby is most known as the gemstone of love and royalty, with its tempting red fire and the way it shines when set on a piece of jewellery. The gem was discovered many centuries ago and it is said they have found rubies in Greenland that age about 3 billion years. In this blog, we are going to find out a lot about rubies. We are going to know what are the different types of ruby, the point of difference between them, and the most famous rubies in the world. Stay with us and make sure you won't miss this blog of wonders!
Different Ruby Types
Ruby species are divided based on the place they are mined, their colour hue, and clarity. The top 5 most important of all, being used widely in the jewellery industry are listed below.
1. Songea Ruby
Songea ruby with a combined colour of red and orange is one of the most valuable and rarest types of ruby. Discovered in early 1990 for the first time, Songea sapphire comes in a variety of vivid colours. The main origin of these rubies is Sri Lanka, but it is also mined in Tanzania and Madagascar.
2. Burmese Ruby (Pigeon Blood)
Burmese Ruby is the most perfect type of ruby available in the market. The main origin of these rubies is located in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Without an exception, all types of ruby include inclusions and blemish marks in them which is not a sign of their low quality, but it is a sign of their originality and is widely used as a way of recognizing a fake ruby from a real one. Meanwhile, Burmese rubies include the least amount of inclusions in comparison to all other types.
Burmese rubies are the rarest and most expensive rubies and have the deepest red colour which is the most sought after and are also called "Pigeon Blood" rubies.
3. Madagascar Ruby
Rubies mined in Madagascar are considered new to the market. Although it has not been a while since their presence in the market, they have found their place among the top-rated rubies. There are two mines in Madagascar where rubies are derived from and the rubies that are found there come in different qualities and colours. The colour of these rubies varies from red to orange.
4. Tanzanian Ruby
Tanzanian rubies are mostly famous for their good clarity level, yet low cost. They have a beautiful colour which makes them look similar to Garnet, although their colour turns darker as their size increases. Smaller Tanzanian rubies are more valuable as they have a lighter colour.
5. Thai Ruby
The southern regions in Bangkok are the main sources of Thai rubies. These rubies are dark in colour and have a slight brown shade in them. They are very rich in iron and chromium and have the best quality after the Burmese rubies.
Throughout history, some gemstones have reached incredible fame and turned the lights on themselves. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and many other valuable gemstones have reached fame whether because of their size, age, colour, or their cost. These gems are mostly bought by rich gem collectors or are being kept in famous museums. We are going to focus on the most famous rubies in history in this blog, but if you wish to read a full article about all famous gems in the history of any type, read our article on The Most Famous Gemstones in The World right here on our website.
1. Carmen Lucia Ruby
This spectacular ruby gemstone was mined in Burma in the 1930s. With a weight of 23.1 carats, this giant stunning ruby is considered one of the largest gemstones that are faceted.
The interesting story behind this gemstone is that the person that the ruby is named after, never actually owned it. Carmen Lucia was a philanthropist and a wife to Doctor Peter Buck. Through the last years of her life, she once saw a picture of this special ruby and fell in love with it. When she passed away, her husband purchased the ruby and donated it to the Smithsonian in memory of his wife. This romantic gemstone never met its owner but kept her memory alive for many years.
2. DeLong Star Ruby
DeLong Star ruby is one of the most famous rubies in the world with an exciting story behind it! This oval-shaped cabochon ruby was first found in Burma in the 1930s and has a weight of over 100 carats! The next special thing about this gemstone is that it shows a 6 rayed star on its surface which is very beautiful. It is named after its first owner, a gemstone and mineral collector named Edith Haggin DeLong who bought the precious gemstone in 1937.
After a while, she decided to donate the gem to the American Museum of Natural History. But through an unexpected jewellery heist from the museum in 1964, the gem was stolen. In 1965 the rubbers turned back all the other gems but not the DeLong Star, which had the police keep looking for it. at last, a Florida businessman bought the precious ruby for $25000 on a drop-off website.
3. Sunrise Ruby, The most expensive ruby in history
This giant 25.59-carat pigeon blood ruby is now the most expensive in whole history! The gem is set in a platinum ring between two pieces of diamonds by Cartier. In 2015 Cartier brought this extraordinary jewellery ring to Sotheby's auction. An anonymous bidder bought it for the unbelievable price of $30 million, which was double the expected price.
4. Liberty Bell ruby
This massive ruby was first discovered in Africa in the 1950s, named as the world's largest mined ruby with an unbelievably weight of 8.500 carats! The ruby was engraved to shape the Liberty Bell to celebrate the Bicentennial of the U.S., ornamented with 50 pieces of diamond.
Even though this precious work of art was being highly protected in Delaware, the ruby went rubbed. The police looked for it everywhere and finally arrested 4 men responsible for the heist, however, they couldn't find the Liberty Bell and there is very little hope for it to be seen again.
Hassanzadeh Jewellery is a professional jewellery brand with a variety of different jewellery pieces, suitable for anyone with any taste! Browse our website for a full collection of precious jewellery pieces.