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Rubies are among the most expensive of colored gemstones and have held a long and prestigious position throughout history. They are known for their vivid red color and are instantly recognizable. If it isn’t red, it isn’t a ruby.
If you’re thinking of buying your loved one a piece of ruby jewelry, you couldn’t have picked a more apt stone. Rubies symbolize passion, love and desire. They are the ideal way to convey a message of love and loyalty in a piece of jewelry. Rubies make meaning gifts for Valentine’s Day or any other special occasion between two people.
But what about birthday gifts? If you’re born in July, count yourself lucky as rubies are your birthstone. Giving this ‘king of gemstones’ as a gift for a July baby is a special touch and sure to be appreciated and treasured.
Ruby is also the gemstone chosen to commemorate 40th wedding anniversaries. Because they look stunning in both men’s and women’s jewelry designs, you can opt to give ruby gifts for each other to celebrate 40 years together.
A little ruby goes a long way, so you don’t need to choose a very large stone. With its vivid red hue, even a small ruby adds that perfect pop of color to a unique jewelry design.
Here we outline our top 15 ruby jewelry picks.
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A Floral Arrangement
These beautiful earrings are crafted combining rubies and diamonds, set in 18K white gold. Ideal for a formal occasion or to jazz up a casual outfit, dazzle with these simple yet stylish ruby flowers.
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A Little Halo
While the diamond may seem like the center piece in this design, the rubies are what keeps it all together with its neat circle of color.
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Two-Toned Ruby Ring
This minimalist ruby ring is set in a two-toned gold and silver setting with a hammered band. The ring is ideal for stacking or as a delicate stand-alone item. Durable enough for daily wear, with the ruby protected in a gold bezel setting, this ring adds a unique touch to your look.
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Boldly Red
The ruby in this three-stone ring stands out against its 18K white gold setting, with the two accent diamonds to add contrast to the colors. The sturdy prongs hold the ruby securely reducing the risk of the gemstone falling out, making it a great design for every day wear.
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Sparkling Red
This round cut solitaire pendant is eye-catching and beautifully designed. The small diamond above the ruby adds sparkle to the ruby’s vivid hue. It may seem small, but this pendant adds a punch to any look.
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Ruby Studs
Rubies and yellow gold are a match made in heaven, with a vintage charm around them. This pair of simple yet dressy studs are a perfect accessory for a dressed up look without going overboard.
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Silver and Ruby
This Victorian-styled elaborate ruby ring is simply stunning. A conversation starter, the details of this engraved design are minute and well-crafted. You’re sure to receive a lot of compliments with this one.
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Rose Gold Ruby Ring
With a simple, stylish design, this delicate ruby ring set in rose gold is ideal on its own or as part of a stack. This is ideal as a birthday gift or a promise ring for a girlfriend or loved one. Or simply as a gift to yourself.
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Elegant Twisting Ruby Ring
This stylish contemporary design combines a plain band with an eternity band to create a unique, twisting look with the ruby as the highlight in the center.
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Sunburst Elaborate Ruby Ring
Elaborate, with a vintage touch, this ring was inspired by Kate Middleton’s sapphire engagement ring. The faceted ruby in the center catches the light and sparkles softly against a diamond and gold halo. Although the ruby rises in the center, seemingly unprotected, the large halo surrounding it offers protection from knocks and bumps.
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Ruby and Brass
Two tiny rubies and a brass setting work harmoniously together to bring out the best in each other in this unique, ethnic design.
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A Leafy Affair
A little ruby certainly goes a long way. Inspired by nature, these rubies sit in the midst of well-crafted sterling silver leaves. The oxidized silver adds an extra touch to the design, giving it depth and character.
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Ruby and Rose Gold
This pendant is proof that pink and red do go well together. The blush pink tones of the rose gold slowly transition into the vivid red ruby in this minimalist design.
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Dangling Ruby Leverback Earrings
Well-chosen dangle earrings dress up any look. Choose these ruby lever-back earrings to add a touch of elegance to your outfit. With the simple diamond halos and the intense red color of the stone, these are sure to be a standout accessory.
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Take It Further
Why not take it a step further with these yard chain drop earrings? The yard chain connects the prong set diamond studs to the bar set rubies and easily glides around with your movements.
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Ruby Eternity Ring
Another minimalist design, this eternity ring is made up of marquise cut rubies alternating with round diamonds. Set in rose gold, it has a touch of old world charm and a pretty, feminine look. Simply perfect as a gift to a loved one, especially for Valentine’s, a birthday or as a promise ring.
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Ruby Claddagh Ring
The Claddagh ring is a traditional Irish design full of symbolism: The hands stand for friendship, the heart symbolises love and the crown is a symbol of loyalty. A Claddagh ring is often given as a gift for a loved one or to close friends. It is the perfect promise ring and makes for an excellent engagement or wedding ring. Because red is the common symbol of love and passion, the intense hue of the ruby adds an extra touch to the symbolism of this beautiful ring.
Why Choose a Ruby
You cannot go wrong with a ruby as your choice of gemstone. Although rubies are generally expensive, they are an investment stone. The price of rubies has only kept increasing over the last couple of decades and there is no indication of this going the other way. As more and more people hop on the colored gemstone bandwagon, rubies are likely to keep increasing in value. Bear in mind that this value only pertains to natural rubies and not to lab-created stones.
What makes a ruby such a good choice when it comes to colored gemstones? Here are a few reasons:
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Ruby Durability
Rubies are second only to diamonds in terms of durability. Ranking at 9 on the Mohs scale, this stone is very hard and does not easily scratch. This means that rubies generally make very good everyday gemstones. They can be worn in high exposure jewelry items such as rings and bracelets and can stand up to rough wear and tear. They are very tough and contain no cleavage, which is the tendency to chip, break or crack. Not only this, but rubies also resist damage from heat, chemicals and light very well.
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Ruby Rarity
Ruby is an extremely rare stone. In fact, they are much rarer than diamonds and often much more valuable. The conditions in nature have to be very precise for a ruby to be formed. This doesn’t happen often but when it does the resulting ruby is a wonder of nature.
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Prestige of Rubies
The ruby is a prestigious stone. Throughout history, it has been coveted and sought after by everyone, including royalty and the nobility. It is not by chance that the ruby is called ‘the king of gemstones’ in Sanskrit. This gemstone has been held in high esteem by all people from all over the world. Very few gemstones have this position so owning a ruby comes with a touch of class.
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Gender Neutral
Some gemstones just don’t look good on the opposite sex. Morganite is one such example. It is a very feminine and pretty stone and rarely looks good on a man. However, ruby is a gender-neutral gemstone and looks equally stunning on a man or a woman, depending on the design of the piece. For men, rubies are often crafted into masculine, large rings for a serious and manly look. For women, rubies are crafted into a range of jewelry types.
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Ruby and Metals
Ruby goes well with most metals. It is especially stunning set in silver-hued metals such as platinum or white gold and looks modern and contemporary. However, ruby set in yellow gold has a vintage charm about it. As vintage is all the rage these days, yellow gold and ruby makes for a stunning combination. With regards to rose gold, there is a general contention that red and pink don’t go well together. Remember Anne of Green Gables with her red hair who bewailed the idea that she couldn’t ever wear pink because of her hair color? Well, today, there are no rules when it comes to fashion. Breaking rules has become the norm and going against conventional opinion. So ruby and rose gold is often combined to create unique pieces. And the two pair well for a harmonious color match.
Which metal you choose depends on your preferences and priorities. For durability, platinum is supreme. But when it comes to price and value, gold reigns. Silver is a good choice for costume or fashion jewelry as it is affordable and can be found in elaborate and different designs.
Ruby and Skin Tone
Generally, there are three types of skin tones – warm, neutral and cool. Read our article on skin tones for more detailed information. But in a nutshell, what this means is that certain colors look better with certain skin tones. Ruby is considered best paired with cool skin tones, as it stands out against the skin and looks vibrant. However, as mentioned above, there are no rules in the fashion world, only guidelines. If you think it looks good on you, it really doesn’t matter what color theory says.
Natural Ruby vs Synthetic Ruby
When shopping for ruby jewelry, you will come across pieces that seem much too affordable to be actual rubies. As we know, rubies are pricey stones, so if the price of the jewelry seems too good to be true, it’s probably because the stone used is either synthetic or simulant. There is nothing wrong with either of these two options, but it is important that you understand the difference. A lab-created (synthetic) ruby is a real ruby, made of the same elements as a mined ruby. The only difference is that it was created in a lab using science and technology by humans. This is not a fake gemstone because it is a ruby made of corundum. However, it was not mined. The other options is ruby simulants. These are look-alike stones that are identical to rubies, but on close investigation are something else entirely, such as glass or garnet. These will be much more affordable than synthetic stones and often do not have the exact vivid hues of rubies. Understanding these differences will ensure that you don’t inadvertently buy the wrong type of ruby for your jewelry. Always read the descriptions carefully and check with your vendor.
Purchasing Ruby Jewelry
Regardless of your reasons for choosing ruby jewelry, pick a piece that has been well-crafted and designed. The stone should come with a certificate of authenticity if it is a natural stone. Also, any treatments that may have been done to the stone must be indicated on the certificate or disclosed to you by the vendor. If the stone is synthetic, the vendor must tell you this. If unsure, ask the vendor for information about the origin of the stone. You don’t want to be paying the price of a natural stone for a synthetic or simulant one. This is why it’s important to make sure that you purchase from a reputable vendor. Check the after sales policies, as well as resizing and returns.
