Ruby

History of Ruby

Ruby has been one of the most prized gemstones through history.  It is included in all major lapidaries, texts that describe gemstones and their powers. Uniquely, it is also referenced in the Holy Books of all five of the world’s major religions!

In the Bible and Torah, Ruby is listed as the first of the twelve stones which decorated the breastplate of the High Priest of ancient Israel. The design for the Breastplate was given by God to Moses, whose brother Aaron was the first to wear it. Each of the gemstones on the Breastplate were inscribed with the symbol for one of the Twelves Tribes of Israel.  Ruby was most likely inscribed with the Tribe of Judah, the father of ancient Israel’s royal family.  In the Qur’an, it is said that Allah created Rubies, and so every gemstone is sacred – a reminder to view all of creation with reverence.  Rubies are also sacred to Buddhists, who nicknamed the gemstone, “Tears of Buddha”.  In countries were Ruby is mined, it is often used to decorate statues of the Buddha, often placed on the forehead to symbolize the Third Eye, or else placed in the naval.

In the ancient Vedic texts, revered by followers of the Hindu faith, Rubies were the blood of the demon god Vala. According to the story, Vala once took the form of a stone cave where stolen cows were hidden. Indra, the leader of the demigods, split Vala apart, killing him and freeing the cows. Vala’s body was scattered across the earth and his various body parts were transformed into a variety of gemstones. Vala’s blood was taken by Surya, the sun-god who attempted to flee with it. But Ravana, the god-king of Sri Lanka, called up a solar eclipse to block Surya’s flight. The sun god was so startled that he dropped the blood, and where it fell, Ruby mines can now be found.

According to another Indian legend, the Creator god first created Ruby, and then mankind. A dark red Ruby symbolizes the masculine life force, while bright red representes the feminine life force. In yet another southeast Asian legend, a sacred serpent once laid three priceless eggs. When the first egg hatched, the Mughal Emperor of India sprang out.  The second egg contained the Emperor of China. The last egg was the most important of all, and when it hatched open, the Ruby Mines of Burma came into being.

In many legends, both in India and in Europe, it was thought that high-quality Rubies had a special light shining from within them. So bright in fact, that this light could shine through clothing! The light was said to help water boil faster, offered protection from all manner of harm and misfortune, and invited the gods to dwell close to the owner’s heart.  Among all the various gods, Krishna is said to love Rubies the most.  It is believed among some of Krishna’s devotees, that if a large Ruby was given to a shrine of Krishna, that giver would be reborn in their next life as an emperor. A gift of a small Ruby would still ensured a return as a king!

Rubies have been prized possessions among the world’s royalty and nobility for ages.  For many centuries, it was considered in Europe to be one of the ‘Five Cardinal Gemstones’, comparable only with Diamond, Sapphire, Emerald, and Amethyst.  Around the year 1800, geologists determined that Ruby and Sapphire are actually different colors of the same mineral, Corundum.  The name Ruby is still used to designate Corumdums that range from deep crimson to pale rose-red, sometimes with a faint purple tinge.  All other shades of Corundum, are called Sapphire, regardless of whether they are blue, green, pink, orange, or any other color of the rainbow.  The name Corundum also has a Latin root, from Carbunclus – the original Latin name for Ruby.

At around the same time that geologists learned that Ruby and Sapphire were the same stone, they also recognized that not all red gemstones were in fact Rubies. Up until this time, any brilliant red jewel was simply called a Ruby. In fact, sometimes these red stones were actually Garnets, Spinals, or Tourmalines.  The most famous example of this is the “Black Prince’s Ruby”, the large red stone that dominates the English crown jewels. It was acquired in 1367 by the “Black Prince”, Crown Prince Edward (1330-1376) after he helped Don Pedro the Cruel of Castille (1334-1369) put down a Spanish revolt. Don Pedro gave the Black Prince the prized “Ruby” in return for his aid.  The stone was eventually placed in the forefront of the Imperial State Crown for the coronation of Queen Victoria (1819-1901).  By that time, the monarchy knew the jewel was actually a Spinal, but chose not to rename the stone. Spinal is also very rare, and this specific jewel is the 2nd largest Spinal ever found, so its still a prize indeed!

The most expensive Ruby ever sold at auction is the Sunrise Ruby.  Weighing 25.29 carats and a brilliant pigeon blood red, it sold for over $30 million dollars in May 2016 to an anonymous buyer.  The jewel was named after a poem by Rumi, a 13th century mystic poet.

The Sunrise Ruby

Photos: Breastplate of High Priest, Ravana, Crown, Sunrise Ruby