Color: Red   Birthstone: July    Hardness (Mohs hardness scale): 9

treasured rich red hue and vitreous luster. Ruby is a variety of corundum that gets its red color from chromium. Corundum that occurs in any color other than red, is classified as sapphire. In its pure form, corundum is completely colorless. The word 'corundum' comes from the Tamil 'kurundam', meaning 'ruby sapphire'.

Other: 15th and 14th wedding anniversaries. The day assigned to ruby is Tuesday (hence the Rolling Stones song, 'Ruby Tuesday'). Ruby is assigned to the planets Mars and Pluto History

In the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit, ruby is called 'ratnaraj', which translates as 'king of precious stones'. Ancient Sanskrit texts, the Bible and other historical writings refer to ruby as a precious gem, indicating the rich history and abiding appreciation of ruby gemstones. Ancient Hindus believed that by making an offering of a ruby to Krishna, rebirth as an emperor was assured. Burmese warriors believed that rubies would make them invincible, and even inserted rubies under their skin for this purpose. According to the story of Marco Polo, Kublai Khan offered the King of Ceylon a city in exchange for a large ruby. Medieval Europeans believed that rubies assured good health, prosperity, wisdom and a successful love life. The English name 'ruby' comes from the Latin word 'ruber', meaning red. The most desirable ruby color is a rich deep red with a hint of blue that is known as 'pigeon's blood'. In Thailand, ruby is known as 'tabtim', which means 'pomegranate' in Thai. This is because these shining red gems look like the edible seed coats found inside a ripe pomegranate.

Metaphysical Properties
According to legend, the owner of a ruby is assured a life of peace and plenty. The vivid red color of ruby also means that it is associated with desire, and it is thought by some to be a stone of love with an aphrodisiac effect.

Ruby has long been attributed with the ability to protect its wearer from injury and to cure blood disorders including menstrual pain and circulatory problems. In traditional Hindu belief systems, ruby is associated with Muladhara, or the base chakra. This chakra is concerned with Kundalini; spiritual energy, the power of pure desire, divine consciousness, opening of the mind and natural energy of the self. In feng shui, ruby is believed to bring yang fire energy.