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Rubies « Back to Education

  • DIAMONDS

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  • RUBIES

    RUBIES

        
    • History
    • Understanding Rubies
    • Color

      Color

      Ruby derives its name from the Latin word "ruber," meaning red. It is the name given to the red variety of corundum, which in any other color is called sapphire. Pink corundum is not designated as a ruby, but is instead labeled pink sapphire.

      • Hue refers to the ruby's basic color - red, slight orange, strong orange, slight purple, and strong purple.
      • Saturation (also called color purity and intensity) is the extent to which the hue is masked by brown or gray.
      • Tone refers to the amount of color in the ruby ranging from very light to very dark.
      Red Ruby Hues

      Red ruby Hues ranging from
      Slight Orange to Strong
      Purple. Red is ideal.
      Ruby Saturation

      Ruby Saturation showing
      color-purity from Vivid to
      Weak. Vivid is ideal.
      Ruby tone

      Ruby Tone ranging from
      Very Dark to Very Light.
      Medium tone is ideal.
      Most desirable Ruby Color Range Red Ruby Color Table
      Red ruby color table combining saturation and tone. The table on the right shows the most desirable color range.

      The most sought after colors tend to be vivid, pure and highly saturated devoid of hints of brown or gray. You will often see dark black or gray areas in the ruby, known as extinction. Extinction is affected by the tone, cut, lighting quality and lighting position. Fewer areas of extinction are preferred. Lighter-colored, shallower stones normally show less extinction than darker, deeper-cut stones.

      Unlike diamonds that have a 23 letter color-grading system, rubies lack a convenient method to characterize their color. This is due in large part to the extreme ranges of tone, hue and color purity in rubies. Judging the ideal color in a ruby has been largely left up to the eye of the beholder.
      In Association with Amazon.com

      Buy Books about Diamonds and Gems

      Gemnation has partnered with Amazon.com to bring you
      the most relevant diamond, gem and ring buying books and guides.
    • Mining Location
    • Clarity
    • Cut
    • Treatments
    • Gemnation Rubies
  • SAPPHIRES

    SAPPHIRES

        
  • BOOKS

    BOOKS

  • GLOSSARY

    GLOSSARY

Color

Ruby derives its name from the Latin word "ruber," meaning red. It is the name given to the red variety of corundum, which in any other color is called sapphire. Pink corundum is not designated as a ruby, but is instead labeled pink sapphire.

  • Hue refers to the ruby's basic color - red, slight orange, strong orange, slight purple, and strong purple.
  • Saturation (also called color purity and intensity) is the extent to which the hue is masked by brown or gray.
  • Tone refers to the amount of color in the ruby ranging from very light to very dark.
Red Ruby Hues

Red ruby Hues ranging from
Slight Orange to Strong
Purple. Red is ideal.
Ruby Saturation

Ruby Saturation showing
color-purity from Vivid to
Weak. Vivid is ideal.
Ruby Tone

Ruby Tone ranging from
Very Dark to Very Light.
Medium tone is ideal.
Most Desirable Ruby Color Range Red Ruby Color Table
Red ruby color table combining saturation and tone. The table on the right shows the most desirable color range.

The most sought after colors tend to be vivid, pure and highly saturated devoid of hints of brown or gray. You will often see dark black or gray areas in the ruby, known as extinction. Extinction is affected by the tone, cut, lighting quality and lighting position. Fewer areas of extinction are preferred. Lighter-colored, shallower stones normally show less extinction than darker, deeper-cut stones.

Unlike diamonds that have a 23 letter color-grading system, rubies lack a convenient method to characterize their color. This is due in large part to the extreme ranges of tone, hue and color purity in rubies. Judging the ideal color in a ruby has been largely left up to the eye of the beholder.
In Association with Amazon.com

Buy Books about Diamonds and Gems

Gemnation has partnered with Amazon.com to bring you
the most relevant diamond, gem and ring buying books and guides.
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