The Ruby - Romantic Anniversary Gift

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Think about Rubies and what is the first thing that springs to mind? It could be wedding anniversaries, birthdays, grandmothers or even the ruby slippers that Dorothy made immortal in The Wizard of Oz.

Most of us can relate to one or more of those snapshots in our own lives.

The 'red fire' of rubies is a symbol of love and passion, and makes this gem just as captivating today as it always has been. It's fascinating to read early descriptions of the ruby and how it's beauty was described in earlier times. Take this nineteenth century description from "Les Lapidaires Francais" as an example - "the ruby, called the lord of gems; the highly prized, the dearly loved ruby, so fair with its gay color."

Who can resist a description like that, written in such a sensitive and compelling vernacular that is seldom if ever heard today. But that is precisely the response a beautiful ruby will give rise to when the moment is right.

Childhood memories often stay with us for a lifetime. When I see a ruby my memory springs to life and I see my grandmother and the beautiful ruby ring she always wore. It was not all that large but I clearly remember the intensitry of the color when the light brought out the fire in that stone.

At a very young age it seemed to me to be a part of her - I could not imagine her without seeing that ruby ring. So, how did it get there? As enquiring kids do, I had to get to the bottom of that, and I asked my own mother. "Oh, that ring was given to her by your grandfather a long time ago as a wedding anniversary gift" she said. To be honest that didn't mean a lot to a nine year old at the time but as the years rolled on, and long after grandmother had left us the vision remained, and for reasons probably best known to that ruby, always will.

Ruby is the the traditional anniversary gift for the 15th and 40th years of marriage. While these two anniversaries require an almost obligatory acknowledgement of the gift of ruby, I think any anniversary is a perfect time to honor the devotion of a loving partner with this fantastic gemstone.

July birthdays under the zodiac sign of Capricorn is another special event which is associated with the ruby.

Prior to the 20th century, Rubies were considered more precious than diamonds, and in the mid-16th century were even valued around eight times greater than comparable diamonds.

Ruby is found in a number of countries, the principle ones being Myanmar (formerley Burma), Vietnam, Pakistan and East Africa. But originally India was considered home to the ruby where the Sanskrit word for it is 'ratnaraj' which means 'king of the gems'. Somehow it seems so right when thinking of India in it's 'golden age', maharaja's, opulence, palaces, processional elephants and of course our precious rubies.

The ruby is one of the rarest precious gems on the planet and is the red variety of the mineral corundum with a hardness of 9 on Mohs scale. Only the diamond which has a hardness of 10 on this scale is harder which makes it an ideal choice for daily wear.

A gift of a beautiful red ruby has always been associated with feelings of the heart and love which makes it a perfect choice as an anniversary or birthday gift. The color red has always been associated with feelings of the heart and love and a ruby eternity band containing a full circle of rubies symbolizes the never ending eternal circle of both love and life.

These beauties surrounding the eternity ring represent this passion. It is no wonder then that the ruby eternity band is always in very high demand just as the ruby wedding ring. In both instances they represent the continuous circle of love that will never be broken.

Because of their rareity they tend to be quite expensive. Don't be surprised if you are likely to pay just as much for a mined ruby as for a diamond of similar carat weight.

Just like diamonds, the price of a ruby is artificially manipulated by marketers who control the supply to the retail trade. But there is a very tidy alternative to playing that game.

If a flawless 'pigeon blood red' ruby is on your shopping list but the price is an issue then you will find a publication that many people have recommended may help.

Entitled 'Today's Diamonds', which by the way is free just now, discusses diamonds and several other precious gemstones including optically perfect rubies, topaz, amethysts, saphires and emeralds all with an environmental footprint of zero and all carrying the benefits of certification by American International Gemologists. It really is a great resource and will help you make the best decision.

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