Ruby Gemstone Colors

When determining the quality of ruby based on its color the hue saturation and tone must always be taken into account.

Ruby gemstone colors.

Ruby history and lore. Chromium is the trace element that causes ruby s red color. Trace elements that become part of the mineral s crystal structure cause variations in its color. In its purest form the mineral corundum is colorless.

The name ruby is derived from the latin word ruber which means red. Ruby is distinguished for its bright red color being the most famed and fabled red gemstone. Sapphire the other gem variety of corundum encompasses all colors of corundum. Okay so we know rubies are red but which red is best.

Beside for its bright color it is a most desirable gem due to its hardness durability luster and rarity transparent rubies of large sizes are even rarer than diamonds. This makes ruby one of the most important gems in the colored stone market. An excellent color can make the difference between an amazing ruby and an average ruby. The hue specifies how red the gemstone is are there any hints of yellow blue or brown for example.

The tone is simply how light or dark the. An illustration of how color affects the value of ruby. The most valuable color of ruby is familiarly called pigeon blood red it is not the most glamorous name but the color is one of the most heart stopping colors found in the gemstone world. Like other colored gemstones they also look great in halo settings which emphasize the rich color of the ruby center stone.

We need to break down the color of rubies into three parts the hue the tone and the saturation. Natural b this category accounts for over 50 of natural gemstones. Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum.