Stone guide · stones, plainly
Learn about ruby
Red corundum, the hardest colored stone after diamond.
- The facts
- Stone facts
- Mineral family
- Corundum
- Hardness
- 9 / 10 Mohs
- Birthstone
- Jul.
- Anniversary
- 15th & 40th
The mineral
Corundum with chromium in its bones: the red of the family, and the rarest color it makes.
In the hand
At 9 / 10 on the Mohs scale it is heirloom-hard: wear it every day for a lifetime and let the metal show the years instead.
Treatment, plainly
Untreated unless its passport says otherwise. When a stone of ours is heated, the passport says heated, in that word, and the price reflects it.
Choosing one
Photographs flatter and light booths lie. We choose ruby in north daylight, loose, against ivory paper, and we would rather show you two honest stones than twenty pretty pictures. Red corundum, the hardest colored stone after diamond.
Care
Warm water, a drop of dish soap, a soft brush. Store it in its own pouch; it will scratch softer stones sooner than they scratch it.
Asked about ruby
Is ruby right for daily wear?
At 9 / 10 on the Mohs scale it is heirloom-hard: wear it every day for a lifetime and let the metal show the years instead.
Is it treated?
Untreated unless its passport says otherwise. When a stone of ours is heated, the passport says heated, in that word, and the price reflects it.
What does it cost here?
Current works with this stone start at From $3,400. Every piece is one of a kind, so prices move with the stone, never with a formula.
How do I know what I am buying?
Every stone that leaves the studio carries a passport: species, carat, cut, origin as far as it is knowable, and treatment in full words. If a lab has seen it, the certificate number is on the passport.
Current works & prices
