Reasons to Choose a Ruby Engagement Ring

Rubies are one of the few gemstones that fall in the precious gemstone category (along with diamonds, sapphires and emeralds). Since ancient times, these beautiful gemstones have been valued for their rarity and beauty. Today, they are one of the most highly sought after gemstones and fine specimens command enormous prices. Rubies are perfect as a gemstone for engagement rings for a number of reasons.

Ruby Color and Symbolism

Like sapphire, rubies are made of corundum. Rubies only come in one color – red. Light red or pinkish rubies are called pink sapphire and corundum of any other color would be called a sapphire. As a result, rubies are known for their single color. Red symbolizes our strongest emotions including love, passion and lust. The ruby, as the most popular gemstone throughout history, has always been connected to these feelings and has come to be seen as a symbol of love and passion. Its symbolism is ideal for an engagement ring.

Ruby Engagement Ring Durability

One of the most important factors is that rubies have excellent durability. Gemstone durability is extremely important for engagement rings. This piece of jewelry will need to last the test of time and exposure as you will be wearing it hopefully every day for the rest of your life. Ranking 9 on the Mohs scale, rubies are second in hardness only to diamonds and have excellent wearability. In addition, rubies are extremely tough (more so than even diamonds) and contain no cleavage, meaning that they are not prone to breaking or chipping. They can be set in almost all engagement ring settings.

Ruby Value

Currently, rubies are the most valuable gemstone due to their rarity and high demand. The most expensive colored gemstone sold at auction was the Sunrise Ruby, a stunning gemstone that broke records when it sold for over 30 million dollars. And the value of rubies keeps increasing as more people choose rubies as an investment stone. Rubies make a great investment but make sure that you purchase prudently. Not all rubies are equal and you will have to take into account the origin, color, quality and treatments (if any) of the stone as these can drastically affect the value of the ruby.

Ruby Rarity

Rubies are much rarer than diamonds and sapphires. A fine high-quality ruby is very expensive and very rare to find. The best quality rubies are found in Burma and Kenya and have what is known in the industry as the pigeon blood red color. Due to the rarity of fine rubies, most rubies on the market are heat treated to attain a desirable color. While this is a common industry practice, vendors should disclose to you whether the stone has been treated. An untreated natural ruby is of course more valuable than a treated stone. Check out the infographic below which recaps the top reasons that make a Ruby a great choice for an engagement ring.