One of the most beautiful gemstones, it carries a lot of properties. The beautiful red hued gemstone is one of the four recognized precious gemstones, along with emerald, sapphire and diamond. Being the birthstone of July, it is one of the highest valued colored gems admired since history began. But before buying ruby you need to be cautious regarding the properties of an original ruby stone. So, if anyone asks, ‘how can I buy ruby gemstone?’ you can tell them about the properties to buy authentic gems.
Ruby origin and formation
The English name “ruby” comes from the Latin word “ruber” and “rubeus”, meaning red. In the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. Ruby is called ‘ratnaraj”, which translates as “King of precious stones”. Interestingly, in ancient times before technological advancement.
Rubies are formed under immense pressure and intense heat under the earth’s surface for millions of years. They consist of oxygen atoms called corundum and aluminium, which turn into liquid under heat and pressure and seep into cracks in igneous or metamorphic rocks. When the liquid cools, it usually turns into colorless crystals. However, when minuscule traces of other minerals miz with corundum, they turn it into reds, blues and yellows.
If you are confused enough with ‘How can I buy ruby gemstone?’ you can trust the color. This is one of the foremost features of an important gemstone.
Ruby color
Color is the most important quality factor of rubies. To figure out which ruby color is the best, we need to consider three components – hue, tonal grade and saturation.
Hue describes the type of red, meaning how red is the gemstone and if there are any signs of other colors such as blue, brown or yellow. As a rule, the redder the stone, the better.
Tonal grade refers to the level of lightness or darkness of the red. The best rubies have a solid color that is not too dark and not too light. When the color of rubies is too light, they are classified as pink sapphires, but the line between pinkish red rubies and pink sapphires is so fine that people can argue for hours when a ruby stops being ruby and becomes a pink sapphire.