First off, it would be rude to start out a birthstone edit without cheering a big ‘ole ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY!’ to those of you celebrating in July. And secondly, 2017 may in fact be faster than Usain Bolt. I mean, how we are already well into summer-with no sunshine to speak for it-baffles me. But, ringing in a new month means a whole new slew of birthday’s which ultimately means cake, oh and rubies-this month’s birthstone!
Ruby stems from the Latin word, ‘ruber’ meaning red; however, like most birthstones, there is a wide variety. Some months have more than one gemstone as their birthstone, like November, and others, like the ruby, are varied in type of colour.
 |
 |
They can range from an orange-red to a purple-red. Some rubies, perhaps the most commonly associated, are deep in lustrous red like our 18 carat yellow gold, 5 carat ruby necklace.
Rubies are the most valuable and one of the most sought after gemstones, and that is no recent discovery. Ancient Hindus coined this gemstone, ‘Rajnapura’ which translates to ‘King of Gems’ and claimed that it had magical powers to ward off evil. You know when your pet, confusingly to you, goes a little nutty and then an hour later there’s an earthquake? No? Well, rubies are kind of similar. Apparently, rubies were thought to darken in colour when danger was imminent and return back to its original colour when the coast was clear. Imagine how much time that would save! I’ll take 10. And to cure indigestion? Nope, not Bisodol. Instead, ancients believed rubies had the power to cure their ailments, crushing them into powder and placing it on their tongue for better health.
We wouldn’t recommend using rubies as remedies, but you could wear these 9 carat white gold diamond stud earrings to your birthday celebrations. Best to stick to a post-night-out Bloody Mary to cure the hangover in the morning though!
Still the ruby is popular among royalty, and is often used for coronation rings. Prince Andrew even popped the question to Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York with a ruby engagement ring.
Love Fergie’s ring? We have many ‘fit for royalty’ engagement rings, like this piece, a 9 carat yellow gold ring mirrors hers just about perfectly. Twelve brilliant cut diamonds cluster the perimeter of the oval cut ruby, like a rose, and is priced at £595.
Or this 18 carat yellow and white gold engagement ring with an oval cut ruby and diamond clusters priced at £1,195. Paired much closer together, these brilliantly cut, nearly colourless diamonds are for that woman that wants a bit of a more outspoken engagement ring. Though similar in overall shape, this ruby takes on a unique style of its own.
Looks like you have extra bragging rights in addition to your birthday...you have a birthstone fit for royalty!
