The Red Luby

The gemstone of romance.

- Kusum Mehta

Red glowing rubies have a great beauty which makes them very desirable as jewels. In beauty brightness and sparkle, the ruby even excels the diamond. Since the mines in Myanmar (Burma) which were the source of the world’s finest gems have virtually ceased to be worked, they have scarcity value too.

For thousands of years, the ruby has been the world’s most highly prized gemstone. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, ruby is called ‘ratnarag’, or ‘King of precious stones’. The ruby has adorned the crowns and swords of emperors, kings and maharajas.

Knights wore the ruby into battle, believing it to have the power to strengthen courage and turn the tide towards victory.

The ruby has long been symbolised as passion; considered as gemstone of romance, which is associated with the heart and the heart’s desire, since the first poet praised a woman’s lips, rubies have spoken the language of love.

Seldom large, the ruby varies in its colour from one mining country to another. Those of the ruby mines from Myanmar (the largest of which ceased to be mined in 1925) are considered to be the finest. Rich, deep red, these rubies have a trace of the saturated brownish tinge which often distinguishes them, from the red Siamese ruby and brings it more nearly to the colour of an aldmine garnet.

MORE SPARKLING

Ceylon (Sri Lanka) rubies, which lack the deep red of the Myanmar or Siamese rubies, are compensated by having more life and sparkle than the two former gems.