When you think of the most beautiful times in your life, what color arises immediately in your mind? If you were to express cheerfulness, playfulness, liveliness and passion, which single color would you opt for? I know that the color red is the answer for both of the above questions, beyond all doubts. And if you really want to emphasize all those flaming and intense emotions you feel at times, what gem of all would you choose to wear? Again, I am able to offer the answer for you, because with its wonderful color and millions of iridescences, ruby is the gemstone for anything related to happiness, enthusiasm and ardent feelings.

In the world, there are 4 precious stones and, along with the emerald, sapphire and diamond, the ruby takes proud part of this valuable gem family. Ruby is the red variety of the corundum group of minerals, while the sapphire accounts for the other color varieties of the same mineral. The birthstone for July, the hottest summer month, in European zodiac and the gem that is associated in the Vedic astrology with the Sun, ruby seems to have enclosed and sealed deep within its flaming stone heart the incandescence of the sun rays that caress our skin and tresses all throughout this season.

History. Ruby's matchless beauty and adorableness has been praised from the earliest times, as it is the gem most mentioned in the English translation of the Bible and it is also considered the symbol for purity and virginity. Furthermore, the famous 'Red Stars' that burn endlessly above the Kremlin spires are very faithful imitations of rubies and for a long period of time they were believed to be giant rubies mined in Siberia. In the Asian countries, these stones are seen as priceless and good omens, for which reason they have been widely used to embellish the harness of noblemen, to accentuate their distinction and also to protect them during conflicts and battles. In China and Asia, small rubies used to be buried under the foundation of important buildings, as these gems were thought to be able to protect the future home and the family that was going to live under its roof.

With so many myths surrounding this gemstone, no wonder it was put at such a high rank and attributed such a fame that in many countries world-wide it was and still is considered a royal crystal. In India, which was thought for a long time the origin state for this gem, ruby was of an amazing ubiquity in art and royalty life. Many literary masterpieces mentioned and lauded it in word of praise and this delicate and outstandingly brilliant stone was also used to bedeck the clothes of royalty. And if the opal is the queen of gems, then the ruby is the king of them all, according to the Sanskrit word 'kuruvinda' which is the name for this crystal.

Variety. Ruby is the most valuable and magnificent red gemstone by definition, therefore it comes in a single color - the red one, obviously - and in a multitude of shades, ranging from dainty pink to deep red. The splendid hue of this gem is given by the presence of chrome in it, and there is also the famous and much-talked-about 'silk' of the ruby, which is conferred to it by very fine needles of rutile.

Furthermore, if you are looking for a really astonishing stone to express your passion, enthusiasm and love, then you should definitely keep searching for a star ruby, which is able to leave anyone at a loss for words and at the same time it is worth more than a billion words. The 'star' captivating light effect of the ruby and its 'siblings' in the precious stone family is known as asterism. However, the star rubies are preciously scarce and, consequently, extremely costly.

If you are wondering which is the most precious type of ruby out there, you should also know that besides the 'star ruby', there are also the 'Burmese rubies', which are rated as the top luxury category. They may not necessarily come from Burma, but they have to display that mind-blowing deep red shade with bluish tints of the rubies mined in this region, now known as Myanmar - a hue that is sometimes referred to as the 'pigeon-blood-red' color.

Even if quite rare, rubies are nowadays widely mined for in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Madagascar, Kenya, Afghanistan and the US.

Uses. Most definitely, rubies are used exclusively for refined and exquisite pieces of jewelry, as they are scarce and seductively beautiful. But they are also known for their ability to bring passion, optimism and happiness, enthusiasm and liveliness and, above all, unbridled love and joy of life to the individual who wears such a gem close to his or her body. However, you should pay attention not to use ruby if you want to achieve peace and tranquility into your life, because this crystal is all about intensifying and magnifying feelings and emotions, and not cooling them down.

Rubies are also the lucky gemstones for the following signs: the Cancer (in the European horoscope) and the Pig (in the Chinese horoscope).