Ruby
What is Ruby?
Ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum. It’s primarily found in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Ruby is highly prized and is one of the four precious stones, alongside sapphire, emerald, and diamond.
Ruby is a vibrant red gemstone that belongs to the corundum family. Its striking color and lustrous appearance make it a popular choice for jewelry, especially rings, necklaces, and earrings.
| Chemical Classification | Inorganic - Oxide (Corundum) |
| Color | Ranges from pink to blood-red. |
| Streak | White |
| Luster | Vitreous luster. |
| Transparency | Typically transparent to semi-transparent. |
| Occurrence | Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka, Thailand. |
| Formation | Formed under high pressure and temperature conditions in metamorphic and igneous rocks. |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent |
| Cleavage | None |
| Mohs Hardness | 9 |
| Specific Gravity | 3.97 to 4.05. |
| Diagnostic Properties | Red color, hardness. |
| Chemical Composition | Al2O3 |
| Pleochroism | Strong dichroism (red to orangy red). |
| Crystal System | Trigonal (variety of Corundum) |
| Optical Properties | Uniaxial (-) |
| Refractive Index | 1.762 - 1.770 |
| Birefringence | 0.008 - 0.009 |
| 2V angle | Measured: 85° to 89° |
| Dispersion | 0.018. |