Natural Rubies
The Extraordinary Beauty of Natural Ruby
Few gemstones have the presence of a fine natural ruby.
Celebrated for its rich red colour, ruby has been prized for centuries and remains one of the world's most important, coloured gemstones. Exceptional natural rubies can also be remarkably rare, particularly as size and quality increase.
Ruby combines intense colour with excellent durability, making it an outstanding choice for engagement rings, special occasion jewellery and unique custom-made pieces.
But when buying a significant natural ruby, beauty is only part of the story.
Treatment, origin and independent laboratory certification can all have a major influence on rarity and value.
What Is a Ruby?
Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum.
Interestingly, sapphire belongs to the same mineral family. Corundum occurring in colours other than red is generally classified as sapphire, while appropriately red corundum is classified as ruby.
Ruby's red colour is primarily associated with the presence of chromium within its crystal structure.
Natural rubies can range from lighter red through to intense, highly saturated red. There can also be pinkish, purplish or orangish components to the colour.
What Makes a Natural Ruby Valuable?
There is no single factor that determines the quality or value of a ruby.
However, colour is particularly important.
Fine rubies are generally prized for an attractive combination of hue, tone and saturation. A ruby should ideally display a rich and lively red rather than appearing excessively dark or dull.
Other important considerations include:
Clarity – Natural rubies frequently contain inclusions. An included ruby is not necessarily a poor ruby. The type, position and visibility of those inclusions, and whether they affect the gemstone's beauty or durability, are more important.
Cut – A well-cut ruby should make effective use of the rough gemstone while producing an attractive shape, colour and overall appearance.
Carat weight and size – Fine natural rubies become increasingly rare in larger sizes. As quality and size increase together, values can rise substantially.
Treatment – Whether the ruby has been treated, and the type of treatment used, can make an enormous difference.
Origin – For some important rubies, geographic origin can influence rarity, desirability and market value when supported by appropriate laboratory evidence.
Are Natural Rubies Treated?
Many natural rubies available in the jewellery market have undergone some form of treatment.
One of the most established treatments is heat treatment.
Heating may be used to improve the colour and/or appearance of a natural ruby. A ruby that has been heated is still a natural ruby, but the treatment should be disclosed.
An important distinction therefore exists between:
Natural heated ruby – a naturally formed ruby that has undergone heat treatment.
Natural unheated ruby – a naturally formed ruby for which a recognised laboratory finds no indications of heating.
Fine-quality unheated natural rubies can be considerably rarer and may command substantial premiums compared with otherwise comparable heated stones.
However, not all ruby treatments should be considered equivalent.
Heat Treatment vs Fracture Filling
This is an especially important area for anyone purchasing a natural ruby.
Some rubies may contain surface-reaching fractures that have been filled with substances such as glass to improve their apparent transparency and overall appearance.
These treatments are fundamentally different from traditional heat treatment and can significantly affect the gemstone's value, durability and care requirements.
A heavily fracture-filled ruby may look attractive, but it should not be represented or priced in the same manner as a fine untreated or traditionally heat-treated natural ruby of comparable appearance.
This is why asking simply, "Is this ruby natural?" is not enough.
The better questions are:
- Is it natural?
- Has it been treated?
- What treatment has been detected?
- Is that treatment permanent or does it require special care?
Is there an independent laboratory report confirming the findings?
Certification – Why It Is So Important
For a significant natural ruby, we strongly recommend appropriate independent laboratory documentation.
A reputable gemstone laboratory can examine the stone using specialist equipment and issue a report describing its findings.
Depending on the stone and laboratory, a report may provide information including:
- Confirmation that the gemstone is natural
- Whether indications of heating have been detected
- Whether other detectable treatments are present
- Weight and measurements
- Identification and colour description
- In appropriate cases, an opinion regarding geographic origin
This information can be extremely important when comparing two rubies that may look similar to the naked eye but have very different rarity and treatment histories.
At Dream Diamonds, we believe that the more important the gemstone, the more important independent verification becomes.
Depending on the gemstone and circumstances, internationally recognised laboratories may include organisations such as GIA, Gübelin Gem Lab, SSEF and AGL, among others.
A laboratory report should not be confused with a valuation. The laboratory's role is primarily to identify and describe the gemstone and report its testing results, rather than determine its retail value.
Does the Origin of a Ruby Matter?
Natural rubies have been discovered in several regions of the world, including Myanmar, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Tanzania and other locations.
Some origins have acquired particularly strong reputations within the international gemstone market.
Historically, certain rubies from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, have been especially celebrated, while Mozambique has become an important modern source of fine-quality ruby.
However, origin should never replace an assessment of the actual gemstone.
A beautiful ruby from one source can be considerably more desirable than an ordinary stone from a historically famous location.
When a seller is asking a substantial premium because of a claimed geographic origin, that claim should ideally be supported by an appropriate independent laboratory report.
What Does "Pigeon's Blood" Ruby Mean?
You may encounter the term "Pigeon's Blood" when looking at particularly fine red rubies.
It is a traditional trade description associated with a highly desirable red colour.
However, the term should be approached carefully.
There is no single universal visual definition applied identically throughout the entire gemstone industry, and recognised laboratories may apply their own criteria before using the description.
For a significant ruby being sold at a premium on the basis that it qualifies as Pigeon's Blood, we recommend relying on appropriate independent laboratory documentation rather than the seller's description alone.
Ultimately, a trade term should never be more important than the beauty and quality of the actual gemstone.
Ruby Hardness and Durability
Ruby measures 9 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
This makes ruby one of the hardest natural gemstones used in jewellery and an excellent option for engagement rings and pieces intended to be worn regularly.
However, hardness and toughness are not the same thing.
A ruby can still be damaged by a sufficiently severe impact, and heavily treated or fracture-filled stones may require considerably greater care.
This is another reason why knowing exactly what you are buying matters.
Natural Ruby vs Lab-Grown Ruby
Laboratory-grown rubies have been produced for many years.
A laboratory-grown ruby can have essentially the same mineral composition as natural ruby, but its origin is completely different.
A natural ruby was formed through geological processes within the earth.
A laboratory-grown ruby was produced under controlled conditions.
Both may display beautiful red colour, but they differ substantially in rarity and origin and should always be clearly disclosed.
For an important natural ruby, independent laboratory testing provides additional confidence that the gemstone is natural and identifies detectable treatments.
Inclusions Can Tell a Story
Natural ruby does not need to be internally flawless to be beautiful or valuable.
Inclusions are common and can sometimes provide gemmologists with important information about a gemstone's natural formation and treatment history.
Some rubies may also display fine needle-like inclusions sometimes referred to as silk.
Rather than automatically rejecting a ruby because it contains inclusions, consider whether those inclusions negatively affect its beauty, transparency or durability.
This is one of the important differences between buying a coloured gemstone and buying a diamond.
Choosing a Natural Ruby
When comparing natural rubies, don't look at carat weight alone.
Consider the entire gemstone.
Does the colour immediately appeal to you?
Is the ruby lively or overly dark?
How visible are its inclusions?
How well has it been cut?
Has it been heated?
Have any other treatments been detected?
Is a premium being charged for an unheated stone or particular origin?
And if so, is that claim supported by an appropriate independent laboratory report?
Two rubies of similar size can differ dramatically in rarity, quality and value.
The Dream Diamonds Approach
At Dream Diamonds, we believe transparency is essential when purchasing an important natural gemstone.
It isn't enough to tell a customer that a ruby is simply "natural."
We want you to understand what the gemstone is, whether it has been treated, what the independent laboratory has determined and why those factors matter.
With more than 40 years of experience in diamonds, gemstones and jewellery manufacturing, we can source natural rubies individually and help you compare their colour, quality, treatment, certification and overall appearance.
Once the right ruby has been selected, we can design and manufacture a piece of jewellery specifically around it.
Find an extraordinary natural ruby. Then create something equally extraordinary around it.
