The Big 3
Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald
The Precious Gemstones
Ruby
“King of Gems”
Ruby goes first! Because it’s my favorite gemstone, because it’s my birthstone, and because my name is Scarlett (I think that’s funny).
The Ruby has historically been called “the King of Gems,” revered across cultures for its fiery red hue. Some of the earliest rubies found were in Burma, and the highest quality rubies today are still the pigeons blood Burmese rubies. These stones are ingrained deeply within human history, carrying significance to many civilizations. Rubies have been engraved with symbols of Venus to honor fertility, imbedded in the skin of Burmese warriors for invincibility in battle, buried under foundations of palaces to guarantee safety and prosperity, and heralded as a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Rubies are the July birthstone and are traditionally gifted for 15th and 40th anniversaries.
In objective assessment of Ruby’s coloring, they are described by the categories of hue, tone, and saturation. The most valuable rubies are vivid, red, and medium to medium-dark tone. The highest quality Rubies have the greatest cost per carat of any colored gemstone. The true treasure is to find a Ruby with few inclusions, as natural Rubies often have many inclusions, acting as a sort-of fingerprint to identify the stone. For this reason, many Rubies are heat treated through various methods to maximize the brilliance and fire of the finished stone. A completely eye-clean ruby is rarely found naturally, and is often a tell-tale sign that the gem is actually imitation or synthetic. Man-made rubies were the first synthetic gems to be made in a lab.
Rubies belong to a class of gemstone called corundum, which is its majority mineral material. Corundum is rated on the Mohs hardness scale at 9, second only to diamonds in the realm of natural gemstones. The presence of chromium gives Rubies their red color, and absence of this element makes any other natural color possibile for the corundum stone, which is then no longer a Ruby but a Sapphire.
Emerald
Emeralds represent royalty, wit, eloquence, and foresight. The green stone symbolizes renewal, success in love and life, and are associated with springtime. Emeralds rank as a high personal favorite of mine for their elegance and sophistication. They are a transparent form of beryl, ranging from pale-green to sea-green in color. Emeralds are also the only Type III gem of the precious stones, meaning that they are heavily included. In Emeralds, inclusions are not seen as a deficit to the stone, but rather a feature which enhances their natural beauty. Emeralds are the May birthstone and are gifted on 20th and 55th anniversaries.
The first major source of emeralds were Cleopatra’s Mines in Ancient Egypt, with some experts estimating have been mined since 3500 BCE. Emeralds were buried with Pharaohs as a symbol for eternal life, their vivid green color being associated with the fertile land of the Nile River. The Egyptian emerald mines remained the world’s primary source for Emeralds until deposits we found in the Americas in the 16th century.
These stones classified as Emeralds and treasured by ancient civilizations would not be held in high regard to today’s standards. In fact, many of these cloudy and fractured gems wouldn’t even be considered Emeralds today, but just a green beryl. Emeralds are made of beryl, making them the softest of the precious stones. Ranking at a 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, Emeralds are easily scratched and their celebrated inclusions make them brittle and susceptible to damage. Emeralds should never be heat treated, as those methods destroy the integrity of the stone. Instead, they are often treated with oil, which is injected into the stone to fill the fractures, but the oil matches a similar refraction which Emeralds naturally contain to behave cohesively. Over time, this oil treatment is often repeated on a stone as part of its lifetime maintenance and refurbishment. Resin fillers were historically discouraged, but modern techniques have stabilized the formulas to prevent color shifting over time. Synthetic Emeralds are often stronger, as they are created with less inclusions and weak points which threaten the security of natural Emeralds. Even still, Emeralds are typically not recommended for engagement rings or other pieces meant for daily wear, but with intentionally protective stone setting and careful maintenance, these stones can absolutely last a lifetime.
Sapphire
Sapphires, also made of corundum, are rising in popularity as a diamond alternative for engagement rings. The Sapphire ring provides a rich flash of color to the traditionally white ring, and has historically been associated with wisdom, loyalty, sincerity, and royalty. When I see a ring with a beautiful blue stone, I always think of the famous and striking 12ct Sapphire engagement ring with a diamond halo worn by beloved Princess Diana, which drew attention and praise from across the world. This ring is now worn by Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales. Sapphires are the birthstone for September and are a thoughtful and meaningful 45th anniversary gift.
Sapphires were discovered in in Sri Lanka in 1300 BCE, a discovery credited to Marco Polo, and Ancient Persia around 800 BCE, beginning a long history of the stone becoming highly sough-after by kings and royalty for its mystic properties. Sapphires were believed to bring physical and mental well-being, even used in “lithotherapy,” a pseudomedical practice of healing with precious gemstones. Many legends and stories around Sapphires have been told through the ages, of Marco Polo traveling across the world gifting the precious stones to kings to become highly valued treasures of the kingdoms for centuries and even becoming the origin source of Helen of Troy’s epic beauty. Sapphires were found in the United States of America in 1865, mined in the Missouri River in Montana. This discovery created a revival of adoration for the stone, with many seeking out and taking pride in attaining their very own Montana Sapphire!
Sapphires stand out from other gemstones for their natural brilliance and clarity. They often have higher clarity than rubies, but still often feature inclusions which can be heat treated through similar techniques.While Sapphire is typically associated with the color blue, the stone is actually available in almost every color! It’s material corundum is white when pure, and white sapphires were a popular affordable alternative to diamonds for previous generations before the rise of lab diamonds. With different trace elements, sapphires can also come in pink, yellow, green, purple, orange, blue and all the shades between! (If the presence of chromium makes the stone red, it becomes a Ruby.) Because of their wide range of colors, many “rainbow” pieces are created featuring Sapphires of different colors in a gorgeous gradient of colors.
