Science of Stones: RUBY

Oscar Heyman Gold/Platinum Ruby & Diamond Necklace

Photographed for Accessories Almanac by Sally Griffiths.

There’s a reason red cars feel faster and red dresses command more attention. Red is the color of our most intense emotions: love, anger, passion, and fury. Hence, of all the colored stones, rubies are the most expensive, demanding the highest per-carat price. The word ruby comes from ruber, Latin for red. Early cultures believed rubies held the power of life because of their similarity to blood, and rubies are mentioned four times in the Bible, associated with attributes like beauty and wisdom. Rubies are also one of the cardinal stones (amethyst, sapphire, emerald, and diamonds make up the others), gemstones which have traditionally been considered precious above all others.