Ruby
The same mineral as sapphire, turned red by chromium — and hard enough at 9 on the Mohs scale to make a genuinely practical alternative to a diamond engagement ring.
About Ruby
Ruby is corundum colored by chromium. That same chromium causes fluorescence, which is why fine ruby appears to glow under sunlight — the stone is literally emitting red light in addition to reflecting it. It is the reason a top ruby looks unlike anything else.
Origin carries unusual weight in ruby. Burmese material from the Mogok valley set the historical standard, and the term pigeon blood describes its pure, slightly bluish red. Mozambique has become the most important modern source and produces excellent stones. Thai material tends darker and more garnet-toned.
Nearly all ruby is heated, and a significant proportion of commercial material is glass-filled to disguise fractures — a treatment that is far less stable and dramatically less valuable. This distinction matters more in ruby than in almost any other stone, and it must be disclosed.
Why Sharon works with ruby
Sharon sources heated but unfilled ruby and states treatment on the appraisal. She builds ruby engagement rings for clients who want color with sapphire-level durability, and she will explain the glass-filling issue before anyone spends money.
Caring for ruby
Warm soapy water and a soft brush. Ultrasonic cleaning is safe for ordinary heated stones but must be avoided entirely on glass-filled ruby, which can be damaged by it.
Common questions about ruby
Is a ruby engagement ring practical?
Very. At 9 on the Mohs scale ruby is second only to diamond and moissanite in hardness, has no cleavage, and stands up to daily wear as well as sapphire does.
What is glass-filled ruby?
It is heavily fractured low-grade ruby whose cracks have been filled with lead glass to improve appearance. It is far less durable and worth a small fraction of untreated or simply heated ruby. It must be disclosed, and it should never be cleaned ultrasonically.
What does pigeon blood mean?
It is the traditional term for the finest ruby color — a pure red with a faint blue undertone and strong fluorescence, historically associated with Burmese material.
Ruby jewelry by Sharon Teaman
Each piece is one of a kind and made by hand in State College, Pennsylvania.
Ruby 295 14K RARE BURMESE RUBY accented with 6 channel set Diamonds. A true "Crown Jewel"
Ruby$14,735
Ruby 240 14K W PEAR cut Ruby with a Double Diamond Arch surrounding this beautiful grem.
Ruby$7,586
Ruby 484 14K Oval Faceted Ruby (mounted Horizontally) in an artful expression of firey comet. (The 5 channel set Diamonds are earth mined)
Ruby$7,355
Ruby 256 14K W Channel Set Ruby Ring
Ruby$5,645
Commission a ruby piece
Tell Sharon the color, the shape or the budget you have in mind. She sources ruby year round and will find the right stone before a single sketch is made.