Ruby - The July Birthstone

I love rubies! One of the pieces of jewelry I remember from childhood was a faceted ruby pear (glass, of course) pendant that hung from a gold chain. I loved it; it made me think of fairy tales and India and other exotic places that, at the time, I didn't know if I would ever get to see. Now that I have, rubies still remind me of India, Turkey, Egypt, and Spain. I love working with them, and I'm always on the lookout for rubies to put in my jewelry - and the bigger they are, the better! (See links to jewelry at the end of this post.)

Rubies are a folklore staple, part of their exotic mystique. My favorite bit of ruby lore is the belief that putting a ruby under your pillow will ward off nightmares. Also, the ruby is associated in many cultures with an increase in prosperity, fame and accomplishments. Wearing a ruby was/is said to protect one from danger, and various diseases of the blood. According to Aryuvedic traditions, they strengthen the heart, restore balance in both love and spiritual relationships, and help to prevent miscarriages. Of course, rubies are thought to represent passion when a man presents one to a woman as a gift.

In Arabian lore, the ruby (also called the jacinth) was used to describe the beauty of the houris in paradise. Another name for the ruby, widely used in the 17th century was the carbuncle although it was more common to use this word to indicate a garnet. In India, it was known as the "Lord of the Gemstones". In Proverbs 31:10, a virtuous wife’s worth is “far above rubies.”

Scientifically, rubies are known as corundum (as are sapphires) and are a 9 in hardness on the Moh's scale. Only the diamond is harder. Many of the best, dark red rubies are known as pigeon's blood rubies. The best rubies were always thought to come from Burma. However, rubies also come from Thailand, India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and even North Carolina in the USA.
It's hard to beat the richness of rubies, even with my favorite - the emerald. The ruby has luxury, mystery, and romance all rolled into one fabulous gemstone!
Ruby Bracelets Ruby Earrings Ruby Necklaces All on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website.

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Emeralds, Rubies, and Sapphires

Part of the new Spring Collection from Cluny Grey features precious emeralds, rubies, and sapphires in bracelets and necklaces in which they are mixed with goldfill, sterling silver, and sometimes lampwork beads. Not long ago I received a shipment from Hong Kong with ruby and emerald slab beads that are about an inch long - they're marvelous! It's great to work with precious gemstones that are not miniscule, and because of their size, these precious stones are perfect with the lampwork beads that otherwise dwarf the little gemstones. The emerald bracelet above features the borosilicate and ruffled lampwork beads of Lynn Nurge; they blend beautifully while adding a little extra to the emerald bracelet above. I love this bracelet because it is such an eclectic mix of emeralds: some are smooth pebbles, some faceted and clear, a large slab is the focal of the main strand of the bracelet, and tiny little faceted rondelles (of good quality) shine in the second, smaller strand. I am fond of mixing qualities of gemstones also as you can see since the emeralds range from clear to opaque. I do the same thing in the emerald necklace that you see below; the lampwork beads are also from Lynn Nurge (a favorite lampworker).The unique bracelet that you see below, "The Veiled Dancer", is a mix of precious gemstones: emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. This is one of the Raj Collection bracelets, influenced by the time that I spend in India, and features goldfilled beads, toggle and charms and just one focal lampwork bead that mixes the colours of green, red, and blue - the perfect match!

The last bracelet here is a departure from my usual bracelets since it is a beaded bangle sapphire bracelet created from sterling silver wire, opaque sapphires in a rice shape and a rather large mother of pearl flower with a beautiful nacre. The flower's center is a faceted rondelle (about 4+ carats) sapphire (also opaque). It is officially Spring! Watch the Cluny Grey Jewelry website as we add more of the Spring Collection almost daily.
To my readers in Estonia, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden - I hope that wildflowers will be blooming soon!




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