A Ruby Is a deep red, translucent variety of the mineral corundum, highly valued as a precious stone of the corundum mineral family. Corundum is a extremely hard mineral, aluminum oxide, Al2O3, sometimes containing iron, magnesia, or silica, that occurs in gem varieties such as ruby and sapphire and in a common black, brown, or blue form used chiefly in abrasives.
Ruby Characteristics:
Hardness: 9.0 Mhos
Occurrence of rubies: Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, India, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Tanzania, Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Malagasy, Republic, Malawi, Pakistan, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), United States (Montana, North Carolina).
Named for it's color (Latin Rubeus). Ruby has been confused with red spinel and garnet. The color can range from "pigeon-blood" to brownish. Other colors are known as sapphire. Inclusions are common, and are used to tell the difference between a synthetic and natural stone. Ruby is the birthstone of the month of July.
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