Most natural rubies come from Asia (Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka), Africa and Australia, and there are some in Montana and South Carolina. Natural rubies are very rare and precious, but artificial rubies are not difficult, so industrial rubies are all artificial.
Ruby's English name is Ruby, which comes from Latin Ruber, meaning red. The Japanese name of ruby is ルビー. The mineral name of ruby is corundum.
The chemical composition of ruby is alumina (Al2O3), which is red to purplish red due to the trace element chromium (Cr3+).
(Note: Pink corundum is not called ruby, but pink sapphire. )
Only red corundum colored with Cr can be called ruby.
Pink corundum is not chrome.
Crystal system: Tripartite crystal system.
Crystallization habit: the crystal shape is often barrel, short column, plate and so on. Aggregates are mostly granular or dense blocks.
Transparency: transparent to translucent,
Gloss: Bright glass luster to sub-diamond luster.
Refractive index: 1.762- 1.770,
Birefringence: 0.008.
Deviation: 0.0 18 lower.
Polychromaticity: dichroism is obvious, which is often manifested as purple/brown, crimson/red, red/orange, rose/pink.
Gender: u- (uniaxial negative light).
Special optical effect: starlight effect, which will reflect charming six-shot starlight or twelve-shot starlight under the irradiation of light, and change color.
Mohs hardness is 9,
Relative density: 3.99-4.00
Cleavage: there is no cleavage, and the cleavage at the bottom is developed.
Luminescence: Ruby will emit red and dark red fluorescence under long-wave and short-wave ultraviolet irradiation.
Absorption spectrum: Typical absorption spectrum of chromium. 688nm 690nm absorption double line 668nm 659nm absorption weak line 550nm absorption broadband (yellow-green absorption) blue region 476nm 475nm 468nm purple region absorption. I. Symbolic significance
Ruby is called ruby in English. Ruby is the most precious of all the gems in the Bible. Ruby's fiery red makes people always associate it with passion and love. It is known as the "stone of love" and symbolizes the passion, beauty, eternity and firmness of love. Ruby is the birthstone of July. Ruby with different colors comes from different countries, but it also represents auspiciousness. Red is always the messenger of beauty, and ruby is the best guide to send blessings to others. Among rubies, the most valuable one is the one with the strongest color, which is called "pigeon blood red". This bright and intense color can almost be called crimson, which shows the true face of ruby in a glance. It's a pity that most rubies are reddish in color and have a pink feeling, so the rubies with pigeon blood tones are more valuable. Because ruby is full of strong vitality and rich colors, people in the past thought it was the embodiment of the immortal bird and had a warm fantasy about it. Legend has it that wearing a red gem ring on the left hand or a ruby brooch on the left chest can turn an enemy into a friend.
Second, the legendary ancient rhyme
The Ruiguang Golden Pagoda built in 585 BC in Myanmar is inlaid with 23 17 rubies and sapphires.
The crowns of emperors in many countries are decorated with rubies and sapphires, such as the crowns of the Queen of England, the King of Iran and the Russian Tsar. Iran's pure gold globe is also inlaid with a large number of rubies.
In China, this book is? 6? It was recorded in 1 Biography of Southwest China, which was called "Pearl" at that time, indicating that China had recognized rubies and sapphires in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, rubies and sapphires were widely used in court jewelry, and the number of folk wearers gradually increased.
During the excavation of the famous Ming Dingling Mausoleum, a large number of high-quality rubies and sapphires were obtained.
Empress Dowager Cixi's funeral included a pair of ruby beads, 27 ruby Buddha statues, 60 ruby apricots, 40 ruby dates and 3,790 other kinds of ruby and sapphire jewelry and small sculptures, including 68ct 18 big sapphires and many sapphires around 17ct.
In the Qing dynasty, the titles of princes and ministers were distinguished according to the kinds of gems they wore on their heads. Among them, Prince and Yipin Guan are rubies, and sapphire is the top symbol of Yipin Guan.
According to a legend, people who wear ruby jewelry will live a long and healthy life, have a happy love, a harmonious family and be rich. Another legend holds that wearing a ruby brooch on the left breast or a red gem ring on the left hand can turn an enemy into a friend.
The Bible says that rubies symbolize Jewish tribes. The fourth gem on Aaron's vestment (called Navel) is ruby or garnet. Judas' name is engraved on the gem. This precious gem has been a crown pet since the Jews declared the establishment of the Israeli throne. I also believe that rubies can protect people from harm.
Ruby-rich Myanmar and the famous Arabian work Arabian Nights spread or recorded the legend of "sparkling ruby" in the bottomless valley. "At night, the rubies in the valley sparkle charming and can be seen dozens of kilometers away. So people threw pieces of raw meat into the valley and let rubies stick to the meat. When vultures are tempted by delicious food to peck at raw meat and fly out of the valley, people shoot vultures and get precious rubies. "
Burmese also believe that rubies can protect people from harm. In the past, Burmese warriors voluntarily cut a small mouth on their bodies and embedded a ruby, thinking that they could be invulnerable.
Job in the Bible said, "Wisdom is more valuable than rubies." It can be seen that rubies were very valuable at that time. The fourth jewel on Aaron's holy garments, Moses' brother, is a ruby. The names of Jewish ancestors are engraved on this gem. This precious gem has been the most precious treasure in the crown since the ancient Jews announced the establishment of the State of Israel.
According to the Bible, rubies symbolize Jewish tribes. In the Old Testament Exodus, it is recorded in detail that following the advice of the Lord, making holy robes and breastplates. The square breastpiece * * * is divided into three rows, representing the 12 gems of the 12 tribe. The first is ruby, which shows its importance. In China, the crown system of Qing officials stipulated that all the officials, from princes to first-class officials, used rubies as their crowns.
Kill the vulture and take out the ruby.
There is an old legend in Myanmar that there is a "sparkling red gem" in a "bottomless valley". The local people throw pieces of raw meat into the valley, hoping that the gems can stick to the meat, and the vultures will pick up the meat, kill the vultures and get these gems. The Adventures of Sinbad in the famous Arabian Nights tells a similar story.
Ruby is invulnerable.
Burmese people cherish rubies because they believe that if you cut a small hole in a person and put a ruby in it, the samurai who voluntarily perform this operation will be invulnerable.
Third, the difference between ruby and other similar gems:
The difference between (1) and red garnet
Garnet is isotropic and has no polychromatic color, while ruby has obvious polychromatic color.
Under ultraviolet light, ruby has red fluorescence, while garnet is inert.
Magnified observation shows that the interior of garnet is clean, and the gas-liquid inclusions and solid inclusions in ruby are abundant.
(2) Difference from red spinel
Spinel is isotropic and colorless.
The refractive index is lower than that of ruby.
Spinel has bead octahedral negative crystals after amplification.
(3) The difference with red tourmaline
Tourmaline has more obvious polychromatic properties.
Faceted gems can be seen in the right direction with the back edge ghosting.
(4) the difference with andalusite
Andalusite has a strong polychromatic color visible to the naked eye, and the colors are brown, yellow, green, brown orange, brown red and so on.
Andalusite has no moderate green and yellow-green fluorescence under short-wave ultraviolet light, while ruby has no moderate red fluorescence.
Ruby has obvious Cr absorption line in the red zone.
(5) The difference with red glass
Red glass is isotropic and has no polychromatic properties.
Zoom in and check that bubbles and vortex lines can be seen in the red glass.
It has a typical shell-like fracture with obvious ridgeline.
Glass has a low density, so it feels light.