ABOUT JULY BIRTHSTONE – RUBY

For all the folks who are born in July, your birthstone is Ruby. It is said to be the symbol of love and success; passion and energy considering its color red. Its name Ruby comes for the Latin word ‘Rubeus’ meaning red. The ancient scripts of Sanskrit mention this stone as Ratnaraj meaning ‘King of Precious Stones’ for its extreme beauty and rarity. Rubies have been a very valuable possession of Kings and Emperors throughout history.

Rubies are one of the toughest gemstones there is measuring 9 on the Mohs Scale. The only natural gemstone harder than Ruby is Diamond. No wonder they have a fiery glow within. The finest quality rubies could be more valuable than diamonds. 

According to history, Mogok Valley in Myanmar or Burma were the first and finest ruby gemstones producers. The rubies from Burmese were also known as Pigeon’s Blood Rubies, this name was referred to the color of a white pigeon’s eye. Other rubies deposit countries are Thailand, Vietnam, and Africa (East).

Rubies are also used for making watches and medical equipment or instruments. Rubies are not just for people born in July but are also gifted to couples celebrating their special 15th and 40th wedding anniversaries. 

It doesn’t matter if your birthdate is July or not, owning a piece of jewelry of ruby itself is a rare and valuable possession. 

STORY TIME

We Asians have a story of our own, our ancient belief is that ruby was self-luminous. It was also called the ‘lamp stone’ because it is believed that an Emperor of China once used ruby to light up his rooms. They were attached to his chamber making his rooms glow even during the night times. The Hindu priests also believes that there are rubies and emeralds in Heaven where God resides. 

TAKING CARE OF IT

You can clean your July Birthstone with a soft brush applying liquid soap or warm soapy water. You must then rinse it clean with warm water and wipe it dry with a cloth for a glowing result.

If you own any other gemstones that aren’t hard or are easily damaged, do not keep them with ruby. Rubies are extremely hard gemstones so keep them separately from other gemstones.