Ruby and Sapphire
Many people might find it hard to accept that a gemstone as beautiful and exquisite as the ruby and sapphire actually come from a mineral called the “corundum”, they may also find it hard to believe that these two stones, for all their visual differences, are actually from the same mineral.
Ruby and Sapphire are amongst the richest colored gemstones, with a history as rich and deep as their color. If you’re lucky to be born in July (ruby) or September (sapphire) then you’re blessed with one of these breathtaking birthstones. Only the red corundums are called rubies, they are rarer than sapphires. All other colors of corundum are known as sapphire.
The depth and shade of the color are part of the evaluation when determining the value of colored stones, the richest, deepest colors are the most prized. “Pigeon’s blood” is the name of the most prized color of ruby. Some large quality rubies are more valuable than comparable sized diamonds and can even be rarer. There is an abundance of smaller blue sapphires compared to small gem quality rubies, which makes even these small rubies high in value.
Burma rubies usually command the highest prices. Most rubies are “native cut” in the country in which they’re found. Ruby rough of a high value is heavily controlled, it rarely finds it’s way to custom cutters. These native stones are sometimes recut to custom dimensions, but at a loss of weight and diameter. A custom cut and recut stone is often more valuable per carat.
