The Ruby Earring: A Precious Stone

mike250 | Dec 7, 2009 |

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The red color present in ruby earrings means there is an absence of chromium in the stone. Rubies are not always the deep red that is often portrayed in pictures. They can be pink, deep red and other rich reds in between. A ruby gets more and more expensive depending on how dark the color of the stone is. Pigeon blood-red is considered the most valuable ruby.

Rubies are one of four precious stones that can be found in the world. Emeralds, diamonds and sapphires occupy the other precious stone slots. Clarity and hardness are two qualities that help give rubies and ruby earrings their premium price tags. Clearer stones cost more. Diamonds are the hardest natural stone, and rubies register at only a point less in hardness.

It is not unusual for ruby earrings to have imperfections. Color impurities and mineral deposits called rutile needles or "silk" are often found in rubies. Imperfections (or inclusions) are not a curse in the case of rubies, though. They are a distinguishing mark to help jewelers determine whether or not a ruby is real or a synthetic substitute.

Before they hit the market, almost all rubies undergo some form of treatment. The most common treatment is heat treatment. Treatment is not to help get rid of flaws, however, Imperfections drive up the price of rubies that are used in jewelry designs. One of the imperfections found often is asterisms, sparkling glints visible when the light reflects off the rutile needles. Asterisms are titanium dioxide impurities that look like stars when the stone is held up to the light.

A popular cut of ruby is the cabochon. A polished stone, the cabochon has a curved top and a flat bottom. It is a cut that shows the asterisms in rubies. Rubies also show color changes, though it does not happen a lot. Color changes also showcase the chatoyancy of rubies. The chatoyancy is the degree to which a ruby appears to be striated and layered in colors so that it looks like the eye of a cat when the light hits it. Chatoyancy makes the stone look three-dimensional.

When gemologists evaluate ruby earrings, they rely heavily on the value of color. It is the most important factor. Three elements make up color: hue, saturation and tone. Hue is simply the color – whether a stone is blue, red, yellow or some other color. Tone is the shade of color; it tells whether a ruby is light red or medium-dark red. Saturation is the intensity of the color. A good saturation means there is no white dilution in the stone.

An abundance of design styles are available to make ruby diamond earrings. Designers do contemporary takes on dangles, hoops, studs and ear cuffs. The ruby can be scratched on the surface, but is still secure as a stone since it is one of the hardest.

Setting the gems in ruby earrings is a process that takes much care. Buyers should always check the metal work in earrings to be sure the ruby is securely in place and that the metal is a good quality metal. It is never a safe thing to trust a stone that is loose in its setting. Ruby earrings are not as attractive when they are just metal.