Ruby stone is a mineral, one of the varieties of corundum. From the point of view of chemistry, it is alumina with a small admixture of chromium ions. The color of the mineral is due precisely to the impurity, the higher the content of chromium ions, the more saturated the color.
Ruby is a class 1 gem, which also includes emerald,
diamond (diamond) and sapphire. They are classified as true gems. All the rest are either semiprecious or semi-precious.
The considered minerals are mined mainly in Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Thailand, and India. In Russia, their deposits are also found in the form of placers in the Urals.
The first artificial rubies were synthesized over a hundred years ago. They are widespread. Quantum electronics and the watch industry are unthinkable today without them, not to mention jewelry. Synthetic stones are obtained in the same way as corundum, but with the addition of a coloring component (chromium oxide).
The ruby ​​stone has been known since ancient times. In ancient Russia it was called a yacht. Mention of him is even in the chronicles of the Indians, dating from the IV century. In the Roman Empire, he was not only known, but valued above diamond. These beautiful minerals adorn the famous Monomakh Hat, in which from the XVI century. a wedding was held on the kingdom of all Russian tsars.
The most valuable are stones that have a rich bright red color and red with a purple tint, but they are rare in nature. Such minerals are comparable in price to diamonds. For example, a stone found in Burma was sold for 500 thousand dollars, its mass was 4.12 carats.
Very rarely there are rubies, on the surface of which a hexagonal star is visible, they are called asterixes. They are valued even higher than stones with a purple tint, although a star is formed as a result of interspersed foreign substances.
Ruby stone is quite hard, its hardness is 9 points on the Mohs scale. For comparison, the hardness of a diamond is 10. With such a high hardness, this mineral is brittle, it can break if it is struck on a hard surface, and if it is cut incorrectly, it can crack.
To distinguish a ruby ​​gem from a synthetic one, you need a magnifier with multiple magnifications. In the natural, defects and inclusions are visible in the structure, there may be small cracks, while the synthetic one has no flaws.
Ruby has long been shrouded in legends; unusual properties have been prescribed to it. It was believed that it can protect the owner from diseases, save from various poisons, energetically nourish the body, improve a person’s memory, increase his strength.
Lithotherapists are convinced that this mineral improves the blood structure, helps to heal joints, spine and tonsillitis. They recommend wearing ruby ​​stone to people who have epileptic seizures, they believe that it can stop an attack of epilepsy. To hypertensive patients this stone is contraindicated. Lithotherapists recommend rubies to timid people, these stones will give them a lack of determination. Active people, he can become a faithful ally in all matters.