Ruby jewelry
Ruby jewelry: the stone of timeless passions
The ruby has fascinated people since antiquity with its deep red color, reminiscent of flame and blood. This precious stone belongs to the corundum family and owes its intense color to the presence of chromium. Antique creations reveal setting styles no longer practiced today, notably Art Deco pieces that combine rubies with geometric diamond motifs.
The origin of rubies: geography of exceptional gemstones
The most prized rubies come from Burma, where the Mogok mines have been producing stones of an incomparable pigeon's blood red for centuries. These Burmese rubies exhibit a natural fluorescence that gives them a special brilliance even in dim light.
Madagascar offers rubies ranging from intense pink to deep purple. Sri Lanka produces rubies in lighter, sometimes pinkish hues, prized for their crystalline transparency. Kenya yields rubies of a vibrant, slightly orangey red.
Solitaires and ornamental creations
Solitaire rings feature a central ruby surrounded by a band of yellow, white, or rose gold, depending on the era. White rubies combine white gold with intense red to create a particularly elegant and luminous contrast. Oval rubies dominate classic designs to maximize the gem's brilliance.
Two-tone ruby and diamond designs blend yellow and white gold to create sophisticated effects. Ruby and diamonds from the 1950s were often set in cluster or flower patterns. Tiffany & Co. favored unheated Burmese gemstones for their high jewelry creations.
Ruby necklaces and earrings
The white ruby necklace features this gemstone as a pendant suspended from a white gold chain. The two-tone Petal ruby necklace imagines the stone as the heart of a stylized flower. Ruby earrings range from simple solitaires to more elaborate designs combining diamonds and white gold.
The carat weight of a ruby determines its weight and influences its price. Color is the primary evaluation criterion. Pigeon's blood red hues with blue fluorescence represent the pinnacle of quality. At Castafiore, every ruby jewel undergoes gemological expertise to verify the stone's authenticity and identify any potential treatments.