Rubies have a breathtaking crimson hue, and the mythical origins of the rubies make rubies some of the most captivating gemstones to humans across centuries. Rubies are also quite steeped in history, and it’s no wonder that this colored gemstone remains one of the most highly sought-after gemstones, especially with European royalty.
But that is not all; rubies were also mentioned severally by the ancient Burmese warriors who wore them during battle and also offered the rubies to the Hindu gods as a way to improve their karma.
Given how highly regarded the ruby is, the ruby is known as Ratnaraj in Sanskrit, which translates to the King of the Precious Stones.
Rubies are also quite valuable, and rubies are among some of the most valuable gemstones, in the precious stones kingdom, with the Sunshine Ruby as one of the most expensive and valuable rubies. But which ruby color is the most valuable one?
Keep reading for more insights and everything you need to know about the rubies.
Basics of ruby
Ruby is a red gemstone belonging to the corundum family of gemstones. Most of the time, the rubies have a strong red color though this isn’t the precise color of the ruby, with most rubies ranging from blood-red to purple-red, orange-red, pink-red, and pink-red tones.
In recent days, there has been a lot of interest focused on colored gemstones like rubies, especially with an increasing number of people regarding rubies as the most romantic of precious stones. The daring darling ruby is also quite valuable, and it’s also one of the rarest of colored gemstones – rubies, emeralds, and sapphires.
So, where does the color of the ruby come from? Well, the color comes from the fact that the ruby is made of something called corundum or aluminum oxide in its crystalline form.
The different hues of the ruby also come from the presence of traces of other metals such as elemental chromium, which, when present in place of aluminum, results in the color changes and different hues of red. In other words, when corundum is in the color red, the resultant gemstone is ruby. Corundum in other colors like yellow, pink, or blue is sapphire.
Rubies are also easily identifiable against other gemstones by the rich, pink-to-blood red coloration that gives it the perfect red hue.
In addition to the rich color and the fact that it is associated with royalty and romance, the value of the ruby is also increased by the fact that this gemstone is one of the harder and more durable gemstones.
The ruby measures 9 on the Mohs scale, which makes it a hard gemstone that will last a long time, even if you wear the gemstone daily or frequently.
The other notable thing about the ruby is that the quality of this gemstone is determined by the same factors and elements that also determine the quality of the diamonds. These include the cut, clarity, color, and carat weight of the rubies.
What Makes a Ruby Valuable?
So, what are the things that make or contribute to the value of the rubies?
Essentially, the quality of the ruby is determined by factors like the color, the cut, carat weight, and clarity.
However, color is the most important factor in determining the value of the ruby, and the highest quality rubies are the ones with a deep and rich natural red color, especially when the color is natural and has not been altered by heat treatment. So, the more intense and strong the color of the ruby, the higher the value of the ruby.
Here are some of the important elements that determine and guide the value of the ruby.
Ruby colors
The value of the ruby is largely dependent on the color of the gemstone, with the natural and deep-colored rubies worth more than the light-colored rubies. And like the emeralds, the color of the gemstone is the most important factor that determines the ruby’s desirability.
So, in as much as the rubies look stunning even in brown-red and pink, the deep, vivid red rubies are the most valuable variety.
But it’s not just the apparent color of the rubies that matters; the other things that matter include the hue, saturation, and tone of the rubies.
- Hue
Generally, the ruby gemstone colors are not specific, and the color spectrum for the rubies always varies. As a result, the rubies all have primary and secondary hues. The primary color for the ruby is red, while the secondary color for the rubies is often variable, ranging from pink to purple and orange. So, the rubies with more of the primary color or just the red are the most valuable gemstones.
The secondary rubies, as mentioned above, will have secondary colors, depending on where they are mined from. Rubies from Myanmar, for example, will have a slightly purple color for their secondary color. In the case of these rubies, the purple hue makes the red appear richer, which also raises the value of the rubies.
- Tones
Then you have the tone of the ruby, which represents how dark or light the shade of the red ruby is. Most of the time, the highest quality rubies’ tones will range from the medium to the medium-dark tones.
For rubies that are too dark, it might be impossible to determine the exact color of the ruby, but if the tone is too light, the ruby’s color will be extremely faint, which is why medium tone rubies are the best types of rubies.
The tone is also quite important, which is the reason why the pink ruby is often considered a pink sapphire, despite having a higher pink saturation.
- Saturation
The last criteria that the rubies are classified by is saturation. The saturation of the ruby refers to the color’s depth or, rather, how intense the color of the ruby is. If a gemstone is intensely saturated, it is considered a ruby, and as mentioned above, the most valuable of the ruby will have a vivid or strong color saturation.
The other measure of the gemstone’s saturation is fluorescence. The rubies with fluoresce or the ones that glow under UV light have a high degree of saturation. The rutile needles or the tiny inclusions in the ruby also improve the reflectivity of the stone from the inside out, enhancing its value.
Here are the most valuable colors for the rubies:
- The Liberty Bell Ruby
- The Prince of Burma Ruby
- The Sunrise ruby
What color ruby is most valuable? Why?
The deep-red colored ruby is the most valuable ruby. But of all the rubies, the Burmese ruby with the pigeon blood red color is the most valuable ruby.
This ruby is mined in Myanmar. Other valuable red rubies include the ones in the colors pomegranate, China rose, partridge eyes, and saffron.
As mentioned above, the deep or intense red, deeply saturated red rubies are, therefore, the most valuable ones.
Ruby color Q&A
What is the main color of a ruby?
Deep red is the main color of the ruby
Are dark rubies more valuable?
Dark red rubies are valuable, but they are not as valuable as the medium-toned rubies, with just the right amount of red saturation, all in red.
This is because rubies that are deeply saturated make it harder to determine their exact color and the primary or secondary colors therein, while the lighter gemstones are too light to be considered rubies and are therefore pink sapphires.
What color is a good quality ruby?
High-quality rubies are medium and medium-dark red-toned rubies. So, even though rubies come in different shades of red, from red to reddish pink, the medium red – medium-dark red tones are the most valuable rubies.
What is the best ruby color?
The pigeon blood red ruby is also the most valuable and good quality ruby.
Conclusion
The most valuable color ruby is the deep red ruby which is deeply saturated, with red as the primary hue (and perhaps purple as the secondary color), and the medium/medium-dark toned red rubies regarded as the most valuable ones.
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