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Ruby
Rubies, with an hardness of 9 on the Moh's scale, topped only by moissanites and diamonds, are one of the most valuable and wearable of all gemstones and an excellent choice for engagement and wedding rings. Rubies & Sapphires are closely related. They are both members of the corundum family. These two gems have the same mineral composition but were named for their striking colors. Ruby is the name for red corundum and all the other colors of corundum are named sapphire. But ruby is in fact much rarer than sapphire. The world demand for ruby far exceeds the supply and therefore increases it's price. The most desirable rubies are deep red, sometimes called pigeon's blood.
Ruby is the birthstone of people born in July.
Major sources for rubies:
While ruby producing countries include Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Tanzania and Madagascar, almost 90% of the world’s production of Ruby is from Myanmar. Due to human rights abuses in this country, the United States government has banned imports from Myanmar, making on-hand supply of Ruby limited. The limited supply did skyrocket the price of rubies.
I purchase rubies from suppliers who guarantee that their stones are "non-Burmese covered articles" in that they were not mined in or extracted from Burma, or were imported into the United States prior to September 27, 2008.
I can also use Fair Trade African Nyala ruby. This rare ruby and sapphire is mined only at the Chimwadzulu mine in the southern African county of Malawi. They range in colors from orange red to vivid red ruby, pink to orange sapphire. Nyala Ruby & Sapphire are guaranteed not to be enhanced in any way.
These rubies and sapphires are sourced from Columbia Gem House, a true pioneer in the fair trade gem marketplace. They are Fair trade level 1 stones, the highest level. Fair Trade Gems are closely tracked from mine to market to ensure that every gem has been handled according to these strict protocols. The protocols include environmental protection, fair labor practices, health and safety standards, and a tight chain of custody that eliminates the possibility of treated gems or synthetics being introduced into the supply chain.
Another ethical alternative are lab created rubies. Duplicating nature's environment, a Chatham created ruby is grown over time with identical physical, chemical and optical properties to those found in nature. Chatham produces the best quality stones. They are synthetic, but by no means fake. They are real rubies grown in a laboratory. Unlike natural genuine mined rubies, which can be highly included, lab created rubies have no inclusions. Lab created rubies provide top quality and color for a fraction of the price of natural rubies. Plus there was no mining and earth destruction involved in creating theses gems.
Ruby grading:
Like most colored gemstones rubies are graded on a letter scale.
| Commercial | Commercial quality; variation in color; included |
31-7-2 |
| A | Medium pinkish red; slightly included; good cut; good polish |
31-5-4 |
| AA | Medium dark pinkish red; eye clean; good brilliance; good cut; good polish |
31-6-4 |
| AAA | Medium dark pinkish red to red; eye clean; good brilliance; excellent cut; good polish |
31-7-4 |
| B | Light pinkish red; included; good cut; good polish |
31-3-4 |
| Bright Fine | Medium dark pinkish red; eye clean; excellent brilliance; excellent machine cut |
30-5-5 |
| Top Burmese Fine | Dark slightly purplish red; eye clean; excellent brilliance; excellent machine cut |
31-5-5 |
Not all grades are available for all sizes and shapes.
Enhancements:
Most rubies have been heated to improve their color and sometimes also clarity. Heating is a permanent enhancement, as lasting as the gemstone itself. Heated sapphires can be re-cut and re-polished if needed without affecting it's color hue.
There are also un-enhanced natural rubies and sapphires available but they are rare and fetch high prices.
Beware of fracture filled or also called composite rubies. This technique is used to improve the appearance of rubies of good color, primarily from Madagascar, that are disfigured by fissures or surface cracks. These previously unsaleable gems could be repaired using heat treatment with lead glass. These fracture-filled rubies sell at a fraction of the cost of untreated rubies of similar color. However, there is no regulation of how much lead glass can be in such a ruby. You may in fact end up with a stone that's mostly glass and very little actual ruby mineral. The treatment is highly unstable, resulting in stones that can be easily damaged beyond repair. Jewelry with these stones can't easily be repaired as they can't tolerate heat nor certain chemicals like the pickling acid used to clean precious metal after soldering. The Gemological Institute of America Inc (GIA) advised against this treatment. Learn more about glass filled in this GIA video. This treatment like all enhancements has to be disclosed to the consumer.
Care for your ruby:
Rubies are rated “excellent” for everyday wear. Due to their Moh's hardness of 9 they are very scratch resistant but can be scratched by moissanites and diamonds. Avoid exposure to heat and contact with chemicals.
Clean rubies regularly as any soap scum residue can quickly make them look dull and lifeless. To clean, gently scrub with a soft toothbrush and a solution of mild dish soap and warm water, rinse well and dry with a lint free cloth. Or clean in an at-home ultrasonic unit. More jewelry care info is available here.
Shop for Ruby engagement rings or wedding rings on my site.
Let customers speak for us
Like many reviewers, I was a little apprehensive about getting my engagement ring online. However I loved the look of the rings and the fact that moissanite was ethical compared to a diamond, so we decided to go for it. My (now) fiancé worked with Konstanze to determine the size of the stone and he was very impressed with her customer service. The finished ring is beautiful, and I could not be happier with the choice to buy from Nodeform.
I wanted a new ring for my 25th, and for my 27th I got it (thanks COVID). I spent so much time looking for the perfect ring, a mixture of classic and organic. Not an easy thing to find but Oh I Found It! The Stella band is just perfect, the workmanship is so good in excellent! I spent this weekend standing outside twisting the ring round and round to see all the sparkles! This will not be my last purchase. Thank you for my perfect ring!
This ring Konstanze made is impeccable. It is absolutely stunning and I can't tell you how much I love it and how much it means to me to have a truly one of a kind stone in such a gorgeous setting. It literally hurts my eyes a little bit in certain lights from the sparkle and shine, lol! Thank you for the attention to detail and effort for perfect you put into this ring. You are fantastic!!
The rings Konstanze made for me are beautiful and go together wonderfully even though they were made separately. I was nervous about purchasing jewelry online, but Konstanze made the process easy, made excellent suggestions, and kept me informed throughout. Thank you so much, the rings are perfect!
When I opened the box, the ring was more beautiful than I imagined. It highlights my sapphire engagement ring and provides a band of beautiful, bright sparkle. I absolutely love this ring!!! My husband, who is not a fan of jewelry, really likes the unique design of the two rings.
Konstanze was wonderful to work with – patiently answering my questions and doing everything she could to ensure we got the rings I wanted! I am a repeat customer and will be back again. Thank you Konstanze!!
Great communication through the ordering process and while waiting for the custom order to be completed. The ring turned out beautiful and is very well made. My significant other loves it and has been receiving a lot of great compliments. Very happy with the purchase!
This ring is a lovely piece of wearable art that was particularly meaningful to us, but its simple elegance will move anyone you might give it to. Konstanze was responsive to my changed order (how do you mis-measure a finger you've known for 33 years? I can't answer that) and my stupid questions about which ring might work best (the wearer does surgery, so a traditional engagement stone was not practical for her). I'm not saying that a clandestine measurement of a ring she already wears and a private unexpected proposal is for everyone but this ring definitely worked for me.
This ring is so comfortable, unique, and beautiful. Although it is small, it does not feel fragile. It’s a perfect wedding band to wear with my engagement ring or just on its own.
I'd already bought one of these rings a couple years ago, but I lost a ton of weight and a few ring sizes and used it as an excuse to get another one in rose gold. :) I love how the alexandrite changes colors depending on the lighting and the rose gold compliments the color so well. The ring is unique and beautiful. Thank you, Konstanze!
The ring looks even better than I thought. My fiancee loves it so much. Easy experience from choosing the ring to it arriving at my house.
I bought the Velda ring in rose gold with alexandrite stones and couldn’t be happier! Konstanze helped me determine how it might look as a shadow band with my engagement ring (pictured). It looks better than I even imagined and I am so thrilled! Konstanze was great at keeping in touch, answering questions, and it didn’t hurt that it came so nicely gift wrapped. My husband and I did all our wedding jewelry in-person at our local store (pre-pandemic) and I didn’t know what to expect with an online experience, but it was very personal and turned out perfectly. Thank you!
I cannot express how excited I am about my beautiful ring. It is exactly as anticipated. I ordered a small (4.25) thin (3mm) hammered edge band, with a comfort edge.
The customer service was excellent! Shipping was fast. I love buying from small businesses, but the level of detail and amazing customer contact was phenomenal!
I've been following Nodeform on Instagram for a long time since I've been searching and researching a wedding band to replace the one I got when I first got married. We didn't have a lot of money then, so I just found something affordable on Etsy. Ever since then I've kept my eye out for a better wedding band in the stacking ring style. I'm so glad I did because I absolutely love my Vania Ring! It complements my engagement ring perfectly. And I know it's going to last because of the great quality and craftwork that Konstanze provides.
I ordered the Stella band with random scattered diamonds for my wife's birthday. The ring arrived a week early, more than on time. My wife loves the ring! It is delicate and dainty,and just what she wanted. Konstanze does beautiful work and I am sure my wife will enjoy wearing this ring for years to come. I highly recommend Nodeform.
Bought this exact ring last year for my husband, he’s not used to jewelry of any kind and unfortunately lost it in a camping trip. He loved so much I had to buy it again. Her work is impecable and the quality of the ring is phenomenal. Konstanze Is a great person to do business with, you can tell she really care about the costumer satisfaction and the product. Thank you!