Ruby Wedding Rings
&
Ruby Engagment
Rings

Ruby wedding rings and ruby engagement rings feature a gemstone treasured for its outstanding durability, high degree of brilliance and fire, rarity, and beauty.

That being said, it takes a savvy shopper to find ruby rings which hold a quality ruby gemstone - the good news is that you can use the helpful information below, including special care for ruby rings, types of rubies to avoid and extra shopping tips, to find the ruby wedding ring of your dreams.

Ruby Properties:

Durability = Excellent
Hardness = 9.0
Refractive Index = 1.762 – 1.770
Specific Gravity = 4.00

Rubies and sapphires are a form of mineral known as Corundum. The difference between rubies and sapphires is color – rubies are red, and corundum that is all other colors (except for the pink-orange color gemstones labeled as Padparadscha) are sapphires.



Meaning of the Ruby:

The ruby has always been the gemstone of intense passion, but the ruby is also believed to imbue the wearer with guidance, knowledge, and the ability to make the right decisions. It is a gemstone associated with inspiration and awareness as it ‘guides’ the wearer towards the path they need to take in their life.

For those who are interested in ruby engagement rings or ruby wedding rings, this gemstone - which symbolizes long lasting passion and affection - is a beautiful symbolic reminder of a lifetime relationship.

The ruby is the classic birthstone of the month of December and the modern birthstone for the month of July.

Ruby Enhancements:

Rubies are usually enhanced in some form to improve the color and overall appearance of the gemstones; however, some enhancements affect the value, quality and durability of ruby gemstones.

• The most common enhancement of ruby gemstones is to heat the stones to improve the color and appearance. This type of enhancement is labeled as E or H, it has an excellent stability rating, and ruby gemstones which receive heat enhancements do not require any special type of care; this type of enhancement affects the value of the stone only slightly.
• Another common enhancement is to fill the surface of the ruby, with foreign material - such as lead glass - to smooth the surface and reduce fractures. This type of enhancement, labeled as F, has a stability rating of very good to fair. Gemstones which receive this treatment require special care such as avoidance of heat, ultrasonic cleaning methods, and extreme pressure; fill enhancements can dramatically decrease the overall value of the ruby gemstone.
• Other treatments such as dyeing the stone to improve color, labeled as D, and irradiating the stone to change the color, labeled as R, have a very poor stability rating, dramatically decrease the overall value of the stone, and require special care such as avoiding household chemicals, ultrasonic cleaning, heat, and extreme pressure; these stones should not be cut or polished again or they will lose the treatment color. *It is best to avoid ruby wedding rings or ruby engagement rings made with rubies that are labeled as D or R gemstones.
• Rubies labeled with a U have undergone a rare enhancement process known as surface diffusion to increase the red color of the stone. This type of enhancement has a good stability rating, but ruby gemstones which undergo surface diffusion require special care such as avoiding household chemicals and ultrasonic cleanings. This type of enhancement has a moderate affect on the overall value of the stone.

Ruby engagement rings and ruby wedding rings which are made with rubies that have not undergone treatments of any kind, or which have only undergone heat treatments, require no special care. Any ruby rings which hold enhanced rubies should not be exposed to household chemicals, chlorine or ultrasonic cleaners.

Rubies are currently mined in Afghanistan, Brazil, Greenland, Kenya, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Thailand, some parts of the U.S., and Vietnam.

Ruby Price Guide:

The average price of a ruby gemstone is $1,000 per carat, but the cost of ruby engagement rings and ruby wedding rings can change dramatically according to the quality of the rubies in the rings and the rubies' color, cut, carat, and clarity qualities.



Color is the most important of the 4C’s for ruby gemstones. Highly desirable rubies are a blood red color with brilliant purple flashes.

Rubies which are too light in color, or which have a color that is saturated in red and difficult to see through, are undesirable.

Carat size also has a very big effect of the overall price of ruby wedding rings or a ruby wedding band. A quality ruby that is over one carat can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $250,000 per carat.

Rubies that have a quality cut and display a high degree of brilliance and fire are also priced higher than stones which have an average or commercial cut. Quality cuts for rubies will also maximize the rubies' clarity and depth and minimize the visual effects of any inclusions.

Clarity is the last of the 4C’s which have an effect of the price of rubies. Most rubies contain natural inclusions, and even synthetic rubies have fake inclusions so they will look more ruby-like.

Large inclusions that are extremely noticeable will impact the value of the gemstone, but smaller inclusions do not have much of an effect on the ruby's overall price.

Blemishes (outside defects on the stone which mar the overall clarity and look of the stone) are highly undesirable and will drastically decrease the value of the stone.

A ring with a Burmese Ruby features the most precious of all rubies, and these rings are often priced higher than rings which hold rubies from other areas.

What if you are on a tight budget? Consider lab created ruby wedding rings made with quality workmanship. (Lab created rubies have the exact same physical and chemical properties as real rubies).

Shopping Tips for Ruby Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands:

Never purchase a ruby ring without a no-nonsense refund policy, and always check the reputation and any feedback ratings before you purchase a ruby ring from a seller.

To be 100% sure that you have purchased a quality ruby wedding ring, particularly if you have paid for a large carat ring, it is best to have the ring checked by a professional independent laboratory.

Keep in mind that rubies are red; in fact, the name ruby comes from the Latin word ‘ruber’ which means ‘red.’ Any gemstones sold as rubies that are a light pink color, or any type of pink color, are not true rubies.

The most desirable rubies are a deep red color, almost like a blood red, feature a quality cut, and have a good clarity rating; a small amount of inclusions (tiny impurities within the gemstone) are acceptable but blemishes (any mark on the outside of the gemstone) are not.

Always ask the seller about any type of enhancement; remember that heat treated enhancements are very common, and unless otherwise specified it should be assumed that the stone has received this type of treatment. Other types of treatments are less desirable and will affect the value of the stone. (An independent assessment by a professional jeweler can confirm if the gemstone has undergone any type of treatments).

Synthetic ruby wedding rings are on the market, and these ruby gemstones are often labeled as laboratory created or laboratory grown rubies; however, some unscrupulous sellers do not reveal that their rubies are actually synthetics. Again, an independent evaluation and a refund policy can protect you if you have stumbled upon synthetic stones without your knowledge.

If you see quality ruby wedding rings that are made with rubies that have an excellent clarity rating, good color, and large carat size for an affordable price, chances are that you are buying a stone that has been heavily treated with enhancements or which is synthetic; quality ruby gemstones are at least on average $1,000 per carat, and many stones exceed that price by tens of thousands of dollars. Remember, if it seems to good to be true it probably is!

It is best to purchase a ruby wedding band that is made out of long lasting and durable metal like platinum.

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