Ruby: 10 Fun Facts!

July’s birthstone is the bright red Ruby! Here’s some fun facts to share about this popular stone.

1. Rubies are a corundum stone, the same as sapphire. Sapphires can come in any color except for red. If it’s red, it’s a ruby!
   
2. Large, high-quality rubies can sell for more than diamonds.
   
3. Myanmar (formerly Burma) has been a source of high-quality rubies for over a thousand years.
4. Until the 1800s, spinel and ruby were thought to be the same stone. Turns out, many large, famous “rubies” were actually spinels. Oops!
5. Because of their color, rubies have always symbolized love and courage.
6. Aside from being the birthstone for July, rubies are also the gemstone for the 15th and 40th wedding anniversary.
   
7. Synthetic rubies aren’t just for jewelry. They’re used in lasers and other microelectronics.
8. In ancient Sanskrit, rubies are called “ratnaraj” which means, “the king of gems”.
   
9. Rubies are mentioned four times in the Bible.
10. Warries in ancient Burma (now Myanmar) believed that inserting rubies under their skin made them invincible in battle!