Ruby is the birthstone for July, the red variety of corundum and long called the king of gems. Its color is a vivid, glowing red that has stood for passion, courage, and vitality across cultures and centuries. At hardness 9, second only to diamond, ruby is also one of the most hard wearing colored stones for daily wear.
On this page
What ruby means, the color of ruby, choosing ruby jewelry, caring for ruby, and common questions.
Wearability: excellent for everyday wear, since ruby is 9 on the Mohs scale and second only to diamond, hard wearing enough for rings worn daily
| Birth month | July |
| Color | Vivid red, from pinkish to deep crimson |
| Hardness | 9 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamond |
| Symbolism | Passion, courage, and vitality |
| Treatment | Usually heated, widely accepted |
The meaning of July's birthstone
Ruby has always been the gem of fire and blood, and its red has carried meanings of passion, courage, and life itself for thousands of years. Ancient Sanskrit texts called it ratnaraj, the king of gems, and warriors once wore rubies into battle in the belief that the stone protected them and lent them strength. Royalty across Asia and Europe prized it as a sign of power and lasting love. As the July birthstone, ruby brings that bold, vital energy to a gift, a stone that does not whisper so much as glow.
That endurance is more than symbolic, since ruby is one of the hardest gems there is, and as one gemological authority notes, "Harder gems like ruby maintain their polish much longer."
International Gem Society
The color of ruby
Ruby is red corundum, the same mineral species as sapphire, colored by traces of chromium that also drive its slight natural glow. With ruby, color is everything. The most prized stones show a pure, vivid red, neither sliding toward brown and darkness nor drifting into the pink that would make the stone a pink sapphire instead, and the finest historic color carries the old trade name pigeon's blood. Some fine silk, the term for ruby's natural inclusions, is normal and can even scatter light softly through the stone. Most rubies are heated to deepen color and improve clarity, a long standing and accepted treatment, and the historic mines of Burma set the standard for color. For a closer look at how color, clarity, and treatment shape a stone, the guide to evaluating ruby quality covers each one.
Choosing ruby jewelry
Lead with the red, since color carries a ruby above all else; look for a saturated, lively tone that glows rather than darkens in lower light. A stone that is eye clean to lightly included is fine, because some silk is part of a natural ruby. Fine color tends to come in smaller sizes, so a smaller vivid ruby can easily outshine a larger, duller one, and that is worth keeping in mind when comparing pieces. The metal shapes the mood, with yellow gold deepening the warmth of the red and white gold or silver making it read brighter and cooler. The ruby jewelry at Oath includes earrings, pendants, and bracelets in gold and sterling silver.
Caring for ruby jewelry
At 9 on the Mohs scale, ruby is one of the toughest colored stones, second only to diamond and well suited to rings and other pieces worn every day. Warm water, mild soap, and a soft brush keep it clean and bright, and ultrasonic cleaning is usually safe for an ordinary heat treated ruby. The exception is a stone that has been fracture filled with glass to hide cracks, which can be damaged by heat, chemicals, and ultrasonic cleaning, so it helps to know how a ruby was treated before cleaning it that way. Protect a ring from sharp knocks and store rubies apart from other jewelry. The fine jewelry care guide covers cleaning and storage for every stone and metal in more detail.
In short
- Ruby is July's birthstone, the red corundum tied to passion, courage, and vitality.
- Color carries the stone, a pure vivid red, and fine color often comes in smaller sizes, so a small bright ruby can beat a large dull one.
- At hardness 9 it wears beautifully every day, though a glass filled stone needs gentler cleaning than an ordinary heated one.
Not sure which birthstone suits the person you are shopping for?
The Oath jewelry guide walks through every birth month, metal, and stone, with practical tips for choosing a piece they will keep.
Read the jewelry guideFrequently asked questions
What is the birthstone for July?
Ruby is the birthstone for July, the red corundum that has held the month in the modern birthstone list for well over a century.
What color is a ruby?
Ruby is a vivid red, ranging from a lighter pinkish red to a deep crimson, with the most prized stones showing a pure, glowing red once called pigeon's blood.
Is ruby good for everyday jewelry?
Ruby rates 9 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamond, which makes it an excellent and hard wearing choice for rings and other pieces worn every day.
What does a ruby symbolize?
Ruby stands for passion, courage, and vitality, a meaning rooted in its fiery red and in centuries of belief that the stone carried strength and life force.
How can I tell a real ruby from a fake?
Genuine ruby has a hardness, glow, and natural silk that glass and garnet imitations cannot match. The guide to telling a real ruby from a fake walks through the checks to use.
What is the difference between a ruby and a pink sapphire?
Ruby and pink sapphire are both corundum colored by chromium, divided only by the depth of red. A strong, saturated red reads as ruby, while a paler stone is a pink sapphire, and the exact line between the two is a matter of judgment.
Why are rubies heated?
Heat treatment is a long standing way to improve a ruby, drawing out a purer red and dissolving some of the fine silk inside the stone. The result is stable and permanent, and most rubies sold today are heated, which is widely accepted in the trade.
What does pigeon's blood mean?
Pigeon's blood is the old trade name for the most prized ruby color, a pure, vivid red with a faint hint of blue and a strong inner glow. It describes the finest historic Burmese stones and remains the benchmark that fine red is measured against.
Where do the finest rubies come from?
The finest rubies have historically come from the Mogok region of Burma, now Myanmar, known for a deep red with a soft glow. Mozambique is a major modern source of fine rubies, and good stones also come from Thailand, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka.
Keep reading
Ruby is a bold, hard wearing way to mark a July birthday, with passion and courage behind its red. Every order ships free with a 30-day return policy.
