About Gemstones
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		Ruby
		Forty times rarer than diamonds, rubies have been passionately admired throughout the world, throughout history. Even the Bible compares the price of wisdom to the price of rubies. Rubies were also said to protect their owners from misfortune and to assure harmony with neighbors. A member of the corundum family, as is sapphire, the hardness of a ruby is surpassed only by that of a diamond. While color can range from a pink-red to a purple-red, the most dramatic stones are a bright intense red. Such fine rubies have always come from Burma, while other important sources include Thailand, Sri Lanka and Africa. Virtually all are heated to enrich color.