 King of Gems - Ruby . Admired for centuries for its brilliant color, the Ruby has always been desired for its color, its luster and rarity. It is one of the precious gems that have always been regarded as a symbol of freedom, dignity and divine power. In fact there is a mention of it even in the Bible. "The price of wisdom is above rubies", says Job , implying that rubies were highly prized even then. Ruby is a red variety of the mineral corundum. All other varieties of corundum are called sapphire. It is the Red that stands out among the sapphires. The color of ruby ranges from bright red to dark reddish-brown to shades of pink and purple, depending on the chromium and iron content of the stone. Besides the color, Rubies must be transparent and flawless to possess gem value. Like diamonds, rubies are graded by using the 4 C's (color, cut, clarity and carat) to evaluate their value. Among them however, color and clarity are more important than the other characteristics in their evaluation The Burmese believed that gemstones ripened like fruit. The redder the color, the riper the ruby. Ruby's fiery red color and regal heritage is what makes it a preferred choice for jewelry lovers. Burma has always been the most important source of fine quality deep red ruby. Other producers are Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Australia, Africa and North Carolina. Some varieties of Ruby are Burmese Ruby - Ruby with exceptional color (usually from Burma) Pigeon's Blood Ruby - Blood-red ruby with a hint of blue Star Ruby - Ruby displaying asterism Cat's Eye Ruby - Ruby exhibiting cat's eye effect Famous Rubies
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