Rubies of various sizes have been found throughout the world. This is a list of rubies by size.
Gemstone
A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires. Ruby is one of the traditional cardinal gems, together with amethyst, sapphire, emerald, and diamond.[1] The word ruby comes from ruber, Latin for red. The color of a ruby is due to the element chromium.
Some gemstones that are popularly or historically called rubies, such as the Black Prince's Ruby in the British Imperial State Crown, are actually spinels. These were once known as "Balas rubies".
The quality of a ruby is determined by its color, cut, and clarity, which, along with carat weight, affect its value. The brightest and most valuable shade of red called blood-red or pigeon blood, commands a large premium over other rubies of similar quality. After color follows clarity: similar to diamonds, a clear stone will command a premium, but a ruby without any needle-like rutile inclusions may indicate that the stone has been treated. Ruby is the traditional birthstone for July and is usually pinker than garnet, although some rhodolite garnets have a similar pinkish hue to most rubies. The world's most valuable ruby is the Sunrise Ruby.
Notable rubies
| Name | Origin | Date | Uncut size | Cut size | Location | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maharlika Star Ruby | India | 10,820 carats (2,164 g) | Philippines | |||
| Liberty Bell Ruby | Burma | 1976 [a] | 8,500 carats (1,700 g) | Stolen and still missing | [2] | |
| Neelanjali Ruby | 1,370 carats (274 g) | |||||
| Prince of Burma | Burma | 1996 | 950 carats (190 g) | |||
| Rosser Reeves Ruby | Sri Lanka | 138.7 carats (27.74 g) | National Museum of Natural History | [3] | ||
| DeLong Star Ruby | Burma | 1930 | 100.32 carats (20.064 g) | American Museum of Natural History | [4] | |
| Garrard's Red Ruby | Burma | 40.63 carats (8.126 g) | [5] | |||
| Sunrise Ruby | 25.59 carats (5.118 g) | [6] | ||||
| Carmen Lúcia Ruby | Burma | 1930s | 23.1 carats (4.62 g) | National Museum of Natural History | [7] | |
| Elizabeth Taylor Ruby | 8.243 carats (1.6486 g) | [8] | ||||
| Hell’s Embargo Ruby | Burma | 2021 | 4,794 carats (958.8 g) | Annies Gems | ||
| Seraphine Ruby | Burma | 2022 | 5.03 carats | Gems of Note | ||
| Star of Fura | Mozambique | 2022 | 55.22 carats | [9] |
See also
Bibliography
Notes
References
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (May 12, 2015). "Sunrise Ruby weighing 25.29 carats sells for $30 million at Sotheby's auction in Geneva". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
- Barrish, Chris; O’Sullivan, Sean (February 21, 2014). "5 indicted in $4 million jewelry store robbery". USA Today. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
- Bauer, Max (1968). Precious Stones: A Popular Account of Their Characters, Occurrence, and Applications, with an Introduction to Their Determination, for Mineralogists, Lapidaries, Jewellers, Etc. With an Appendix on Pearls and Coral, Volume 1. Dover Publications. ISBN 9780486219103. - Total pages: 627
- Edwards, Owen (February 1, 2005). "Romance And The Stone: A rare Burmese ruby memorializes a philanthropic woman". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
- McAndrew, Erin (December 14, 2011). "RESULTS: The Legendary Jewels, Evening Sale & Jewelry (Sessions II and III)". Christie's. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
- The New York Times (2014). New York Times The Times of the Sixties: The Culture, Politics, and Personalities that Shaped the Decade. Running Press. ISBN 9781603763660. - Total pages: 324
- Smithsonian Institution (2019). "Rosser Reeves Star Ruby". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
- Sherman, Lauren (October 3, 2007). "World's Ultimate Jewels". Forbes. Retrieved September 1, 2019.