What is July birthstone and colour?

Quick Answer:

The July birthstone is the ruby. The traditional color for the July birthstone is red. Rubies range in color from pinkish to blood red to brownish red. High quality rubies have a deep, rich red color.

What is the July Birthstone?

The July birthstone is the ruby. The ruby is one of the four precious gemstones, along with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. Rubies have been prized for their beauty and symbolism for thousands of years.

The name “ruby” comes from the Latin word “ruber” which means red. Red is the color most associated with rubies. However, rubies can range in color from pinkish red to blood red to brownish red. The most prized rubies are a deep, rich red color.

History and Lore of the July Birthstone

Rubies have a long history and are embedded in mythology, lore and tradition across many cultures. Here are some key facts about the history and symbolism of the July birthstone:

Rubies have been mined for over 2,500 years. Some of the earliest known ruby mines were in Sri Lanka.
Ancient Hindus believed rubies came from the plant’s roots that glowed like fire. They called rubies “Ratnaraj”, meaning “King of Precious Stones.”

In ancient China, rubies were thought to bring good fortune to warriors. Chinese noblemen adorned their armor with rubies before going into battle.
During the Middle Ages, rubies were thought to represent hot, fiery emotions like love and courage. Knights wore rubies to bring them victory and protection in battle.
Rubies were believed to have healing powers. Ground up into powder, they were used to cure bloody wounds, poisoning and even blindness.

The ruby is the birthstone for the month of July. It is also the zodiac stone for Capricorns.
Rubies are one of the four precious gemstones along with emeralds, sapphires and diamonds. Their rarity and beauty have made them among the most valuable gems throughout history.

So in summary, the ruby has long been associated with vitality, passion, strength, and other hot, fiery qualities. Its beautiful red color connects it symbolically with the heart and blood.

Physical Properties of Rubies

Rubies are chemically comprised of the mineral corundum, aluminum oxide. Here are some key physical properties of rubies:

Color: Range from pinkish red and purplish red to blood red and brownish red. Bright red is most desirable.
Clarity: The more transparent and clear, the higher quality. Inclusions affect clarity.

Cut: Rubies are typically cut into a round brilliant shape with 58 facets to maximize their optical properties.
Hardness: 9.0 on the Mohs hardness scale, making rubies extremely durable gems.
Luster: Highly reflective with a vitreous (glassy) luster.

Refractive Index: 1.762-1.770, one of the highest refractive indices for any gemstone.

These properties make rubies stand out among colored gemstones. Their hardness means rubies are suitable for any kind of jewelry, from rings to bracelets to necklaces. Their refractive index causes rubies to have an exceptional brilliance and fire.

Natural vs Synthetic Rubies

There are both naturally occurring rubies that form in the earth’s crust and synthetic rubies made in laboratories. Here is a comparison:

Natural Rubies	Synthetic Rubies
Formed naturally deep within the earth’s crust under high heat and pressure.	Created in labs using methods like flame fusion, flux process, and hydrothermal process.
Extremely rare, only found in a few locations worldwide.	More abundant since they can be produced in labs on a large scale.
Natural inclusions and imperfections.	Very few inclusions or blemishes.
Can exhibit phenomena like silky glow.	Lack some natural phenomena of earth-formed rubies.
Significantly more expensive and valued.	More affordable, but considered less valuable.

As the table illustrates, natural rubies are distinct from synthetic rubies in their geological origins, rarity, inclusions, and value. Natural rubies form over millions of years in nature and have unique characteristics.

Where are Rubies Found?

Natural rubies are mined around the world, particularly in Southeast Asia, Africa and South Asia. Some of the top ruby mining locations include:

Myanmar (Burma): Myanmar is the world’s primary source of rubies. It produces some of the finest quality and most expensive rubies. Mogok in Upper Myanmar has been a famous ruby mining area for centuries.

Thailand: Thai rubies have a deep blood-red color. Significant deposits are found in Chanthaburi.
India: The state of Rajasthan produces vibrant ruby specimens. Ruby deposits occur in Karur and Guntur districts.
Sri Lanka (Ceylon): Sri Lanka is known for mining rubies since ancient times. Fine star rubies are found in Ratnapura.

Tanzania: The Morogoro region of Tanzania has ruby mines that have been active for decades.
Afghanistan: Afghan rubies from Jegdalek and other mines exhibit beautiful color and clarity.

Some secondary ruby mining locations include Pakistan, Vietnam, Nepal, Madagascar, Russia, Zimbabwe and the United States. While rubies can be found around the world, those from Southeast Asia are generally prized for their quality and color saturation.

How are Rubies Formed?

Rubies form through an extended geological process that takes millions of years. Here is an overview of how natural rubies are formed:

It begins in the earth’s mantle, which contains aluminum, oxygen, and chromium.
At a depth of around 125-200 km, chromium ions replace some aluminum ions in the corundum’s molecular structure. This process is called chromium doping.

The chromium impurities give corundum its characteristic ruby red color. The more chromium, the more intense the color.
Molten rock carries the ruby corundum to the earth’s surface through geological activity like volcanic eruptions.
The corundum crystallizes into rubies as it cools. This occurs close to the earth’s surface.

Weathering and erosion over millions of years expose the ruby deposits which can then be mined.

This entire formation process takes an estimated 20 to 50 million years. The unique combination of chemical impurities and geological conditions are what create rubies.

Ruby Color Variations

While red is the color most associated with rubies, they can exhibit a wide range of red and reddish-pink hues.

Ruby Color	Description
Pigeon’s Blood Red	The most desirable color – pure, intense, bright red with a hint of blue. Rare and expensive.
Pure Red	Vivid red with no secondary hues. Still an exceptional color.
Pinkish Red	Lighter red with more pink undertone. Less valuable.
Purplish Red	Red with a secondary hue of purple. Somewhat diminishes value.
Brownish Red	Darker red with brown undertones. Considerably lower value.

As shown in the table, the most prized rubies have a pure, vibrant red color without any secondary hues. Even the slightest hint of purple or brown can diminish a ruby’s value considerably compared to an intensely saturated red.

How is Ruby Color Evaluated?

Gemologists (experts in gemstones) evaluate the quality of a ruby’s color based on three factors:

Hue – The actual color and presence of secondary hues like purple or orange.

Tone – How light or dark the shade of red is.
Saturation – How vivid and intense the color is.

The finest rubies have a pure red hue without secondary colors, a medium-dark tone, and a highly saturated, vivid color.

Gemologists may describe a ruby’s color using terms like:

Pigeon’s blood – The ultimate ruby, intensely saturated red.
Deep crimson – Darker, rich red.

Pinkish red – Lighter tone, lower saturation.
Brownish red – Darker tone but more brown than red.
Purplish red – Secondary hue diminishes value.

These descriptive color terms help communicate the exact shade and quality of a ruby’s color. Color is the most important factor in determining a ruby’s value.

How Rare are Rubies?

High quality natural rubies are extremely rare, especially rubies over one carat in size. Here are some facts that demonstrate the rarity of fine rubies:

Annually, the entire world produces only about 5-10 tons of rubies.

Less than 0.01% of the rubies mined worldwide are suitable for jewelry use.
Large rubies over 3 carats are so scarce they can sell for over $1 million per carat.
The Smithsonian Institution in the US received a donation of a 6.4 carat Burmese ruby in 2000. At the time it was appraised at over $3 million.

Fine quality rubies over 5 carats are exceedingly rare. Most jewelry houses do not have access to rubies this large.
The most expensive ruby ever sold was the Sunrise Ruby at $30 million in 2015. It weighed 25.6 carats.

This scarcity means prices for rubies increase exponentially with size and quality. While small rubies are somewhat available, fine rubies in larger sizes are almost impossible for most buyers to obtain.

What Increases a Ruby’s Value?

A ruby’s value is determined most by its color and clarity. Here are the factors that increase the value and price per carat of natural rubies:

Vibrant red color – Hue, tone and saturation all impact the value. Pure red commands the highest prices.
Clarity – The fewer inclusions and blemishes the better. “Eye-clean” rubies are most desirable.

Carat weight – Value increases exponentially with carat size, especially above 3 carats.
Origin – Rubies from certain regions like Myanmar (Burma)fetch higher prices.
Treatment – Untreated natural rubies have higher value than treated stones.

Cut quality – Excellent cutting and proportions optimize beauty.
Strong fluorescence – Glowing red under ultraviolet light.

The most important factors – color, clarity and carat weight – are all related to the rarity and natural qualities of the ruby.

What are Some Notable Rubies?

Some of the most famous rubies in the world include:

The Sunrise Ruby – Largest known ruby at 25.59 carats. Sold in 2015 for over $30 million.
The Carmen Lúcia Ruby – 23.1 carat specimen purchased in 2017 for $14.2 million.

The Graff Ruby – 8.62 carat cushion-cut Burmese ruby set in a diamond ring.
The Rosser Reeves Ruby – 137.74 carat ruby displayed at the Smithsonian Institution.
Edwardes Ruby – 167 carat cabochon-cut ruby mined in India in late 1700s.

Rajaratna Ruby – One of the largest rubies at 2,475 carats. Found in Sri Lanka.

These enormous rubies exemplify their extreme rarity and value. Many are literally priceless and will never be sold or seen on the open market. They remain in museums and private collections as testaments to the ruby’s splendor.

How are Rubies Graded?

Gemological laboratories like GIA use several grading factors to assess and certify the quality of rubies:

Color – Rated on a letter scale, from D (pure red) to Z (light purplish red).
Clarity – Rated from FL (flawless) to I3 (heavy inclusions).
Cut – Quality of the cut from Excellent to Poor.

Carat weight – Precisely measured weight.
Origins – Country or region of origin.
Treatments – Any enhancements or treatments.

These independent certifications confirm the authenticity and characteristics of rubies. They provide assurance and traceability for buyers and sellers.

How are Rubies Formed Naturally Vs Synthetically?

Natural Ruby Formation	Synthetic Ruby Growth
Forms from aluminum oxide and chromium deep in the earth over millions of years.	Grown in labs using methods like flux process, hydrothermal or flame fusion in days or weeks.
Crystallizes as magma cools when tectonic activity brings it close to the surface.	Lab-created crystals pulled from fused alumina solution or melt.
Natural inclusions, irregularities, and unique properties.	Very few inclusions or identifying marks compared to natural rubies.
Limited quantities based on geological conditions.	Can be produced in any quantity as long as starting materials are available.
Millions of years old.	Only days or months from crystal growth to finishing.

In summary, natural rubies require highly specific geological conditions occurring over eons to form gem-quality crystals. Synthetic rubies can be manufactured almost instantly in labs once the process is mastered.

How are Synthetic Rubies Different from Natural?

While having the same chemical composition and appearance, synthetic and natural rubies have some key distinctions:

Natural rubies form from geological processes, synthetic rubies are manufactured in labs.
Synthetics have fewer flaws and inclusions than natural stones.
Natural rubies exhibit subtle natural phenomena like silk that are absent in synthetics.

Synthetic rubies tend to have more uniform color distribution.
Synthetics are manufactured more quickly and economically than mining natural stones.
Natural rubies are much r