Ruby Burma	Ruby Madagascar	Ruby Mogok Unheated	Star Ruby

Historically, many believe that mystical powers lie within this intensely colored red gemstone. When inserted beneath the skin, the ancient Burmese believe that the stone generates a mystical force, which protects the wearer from accidents and attack. The ancient Hindus enchanted by the color of rubies considered them to be "Ratnaraj" or the "King of Precious Stones". The modern word ruby is derived from the ancient Latin term "Rubeus".  It is the birthstone for July.

Today, Burma is the world's largest provider of high quality rubies. Many consider Burmese rubies from the Mogok Valley to be the world's finest. Vietnam, Kenya, Tanzania and Sri Lanka are some of the other providers of this truly enchanting gemstone. Thailand, with large deposits near the Cambodian border, was previously the world's largest provider of rubies, but due to environmental regulations, the mining of gemstones has been greatly reduced. 

Member of the corundum family(same as sapphires), rubies are one of the toughest gemstones. Its hardness is just below that of diamonds, with no cleavage and breakage rarely occurs. Microscopic inclusions, sometimes called "silk", are a normal characteristic of rubies. However, heating tends to dissolve these inclusions. The existence of inclusions provides traces to the rubies' origin and can be used to separate natural from synthetic stones. The inclusions within these gemstones may also be evidence that a ruby has not been heat-treated.  Inclusions do not affect the value of the stone as long as the brilliance of the gemstone is maintained and they are not visible to the naked eye. Intensity and uniformity of the red color are the factors used to determine the price of rubies. Highly valued rubies are those with intense medium red and uniformed color. Intense pink rubies can be highly appraised as well, if they are clear and beautifully cut.