Jul
Few gemstones are as infamous as the ruby. For thousands of years, the ruby’s deep red colour has made it synonymous with love, courage and prosperity. It is also July’s birthstone, which is why it makes a wonderful gift for those occasions. Whether you are looking for ruby jewellery to commemorate a July birthday, enjoy the timelessness of this particular gemstone, or are simply curious about July’s birthstone and birthstone jewellery, we have covered everything you need to know.
What Is July’s Birthstone?
The ruby is officially designated as July’s birthstone and is part of the corundum group of minerals. Corundum produces a wide range of sapphire colours; however, only red corundum is referred to as ruby. The red colour of the ruby originates from chromium within the ruby’s crystal lattice structure.
Rubies have been sought after by civilisations around the globe for over 2,000 years. Many ancient societies believed ruby jewellery had magical properties. In royal courts, rubies were worn as symbols of power, wealth and status. Today, rubies are considered one of the four precious stones, along with diamonds, sapphires and emeralds.
Rubies occur naturally in several locations around the globe. Notable places where rubies are mined include Burma, Mozambique, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Due to the geographical differences in each location, each country mines rubies that have distinct characteristics, resulting in completely individual rubies.
The Meaning of Ruby
In addition to being July’s birthstone, ruby has developed strong symbolic meanings representing the qualities of warm summer days. Typically, these include:
- Love and passion
- Confidence and courage
- Strength and protection
- Success and vitality
Throughout history, rubies were believed to provide their owners with good luck and protect them from harm. Because of this belief, rubies were commonly given as tokens of love and loyalty, especially for romantic purposes. This is why they are a popular gift option for anniversaries, especially the 40th wedding anniversary.
Colour, Quality & Characteristics of Rubies
Similarly to other gemstones, July’s birthstone is evaluated based upon a few factors that determine its overall quality:
Colour: Colour is the single greatest factor when evaluating a ruby. Evenly dispersed rich colours usually command higher prices than rubies lacking even colour distribution.
Clarity: Like many natural gemstones, most natural rubies have small imperfections within their crystalline structure caused during their formation. Provided that these inclusions do not negatively impact a ruby’s clarity or durability, they are typically viewed as a characteristic of the natural nature of the gemstone.
Cut: Cutting plays a large role in how much light enters a ruby and how well it exhibits its colour. Rubies are cut into various shapes, including oval, cushion, round and pear-shaped.
Carat Weight: High-quality rubies are rare regardless of carat weight; therefore, larger high-quality rubies are some of the most expensive coloured gemstones available today.
Rubies are also very durable and thus ideal for daily wear. Rubies rate 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, second only to diamond, offering great scratch resistance. They’re ideal for use in pendants, earrings, rings and cufflinks, and as July’s birthstone, they’re perfect for wearing throughout the month.
Why Rubies Are a Great Jewellery Choice
Ruby is an attractive combination of beauty and durability, providing an excellent material to create jewellery that can be passed down for generations. Incorporating July’s birthstone into a design provides a beautiful focal point when paired with traditional metals such as white gold, modern platinum or classic rose gold. Rubies also look magnificent when combined with diamonds, creating a beautiful contrast of colours while adding additional brilliance. Rubies make equally impressive statement pieces when used in either engagement rings or wedding bands.
Bespoke Ruby Birthstone Jewellery
A custom-designed ruby birthstone jewellery item turns what would otherwise be an already meaningful gemstone into something uniquely personalised.
You can get in contact with us to discuss a commission for custom ruby jewellery. You can decide upon every aspect of your new piece, and working directly with an expert jeweller also allows you to find a ruby that fits your style and budget while assuring fantastic craftsmanship from start to finish.
Our gemstone store, UK Gemstones, also gives you the ability to carefully select an exquisite cut of July’s birthstone yourself. On the Ruby page, you’ll find all of the technical details you need to make your choice and can purchase your chosen stone directly from that page before working with our designers to bring your bespoke piece to life.
