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July Birthstone – What is July Birthstone (Ruby)
July is the month of American independence and the start of the second half of the year. It’s also in the middle of summer, so during this time of the year, you’ll find plenty of tourists wandering about. During this month, days are long and hot, and not everybody can stand the summer heat. So it’s no real surprise that this month’s birthstone is the red-hot Ruby, a classic gemstone that vibrant and energetic.
Despite the red color being associated with energy and spontaneity, Ruby has a very different symbolic meaning. Today, we’re breaking down the true meaning behind this colorful gemstone, as well as give some insight into the gem itself. Ruby is very beautiful stone. It gives and extra ordinary look when weared.
What is a Ruby?
Ruby is a type of corundum, an incredibly hard mineral (third to the hardest mineral on the Mohs scale). Rubies are most commonly showcased as blood red, but they can range from the popular blood red to brighter pink hues. Like the gemstone emerald, Ruby owes its red color to the presence of an element known as chromium. Like emerald, it was considered one of the fabled Cardinal gems, one of five gems said to be a cut above all others.
Rubies that are found naturally all come with imperfections. These imperfections may not sound like something you’d want in your jewelry, but they are vital in identifying genuine rubies from synthetic ones. Natural rubies not only have color imperfections but also something that is known as “silk.” These needle-like structures are only present in naturally-formed rubies and are thus the primary indicator that differentiates an authentic ruby from a synthetic one.
While synthetic rubies aren’t ideal for jewelry, they do serve practical purposes. Everyday use of synthetic Ruby is as a component for ruby lasers and masers. While first invented in 1960, these lasers are still used to this very day.
Because some rubies are colored pink, it can be easy to confuse them with another pink gemstone known as pink sapphire. Rules regarding the classification and distinction between the two gemstones were only established during the 20th century. Since this topic is still highly debated to this day, international organizations more generously consider pink gemstones as rubies.
What does Ruby Signify?
The earliest recordings of rubies can be found in China’s fabled Silk Road. The documents dated all the way back to 200 B.C, where the gems were brought from China. In fact, since then, rubies have always been famous among Asian countries. Many affluent individuals and nobles folk used rubies to decorate their armor and weapons. Finally, some say that rubies were used to ward off evil, functioning as a talisman of sorts for the wearer.
In India, they were even used in a similar fashion to seeds buried in the ground before a building was constructed to provide good luck. Even if it wasn’t buried beneath a building, rubies were said to be good luck charms to the wearer. Rubies are also used as an object of worship, as it is heavily associated with the Sun. Worshipping the Ruby was said to give favor to the Sun.
Rubies are now often used to represent courage, good health, and wisdom. As the gemstone was used to decorate armor and weapons, it served an aesthetic purpose and a functional one. For a soldier that is charging head-first into battle, the Ruby would signify their unwavering resolve and courage, as well as their perfect condition to do battle.
Other people consider rubies to signify the emotions of passion and love, which is similar to the symbolism behind the color red. Red is an aggressive and intense color, and the Ruby encapsulates that emotion very well.
Conclusion
Ruby’s position as a Carnival gem may not nearly be as relevant as it was back in the day, but it’s still a valuable gemstone and birthstone nonetheless. Its intense colors are accompanied by intense emotions such as love and passion, courage and health, and even wisdom. So for the month of July, where summer heat takes over part of the world, the Ruby is the perfect birthstone.
