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RUBY (Corundum)

Compound Form: Al2O3

Rubies or aluminum oxide (Al2O3) belongs to the corundum family.

Rubies have a hardness of 9 on a ‘moh’s scale’, which is second closest to diamond (diamond being a 10).

Rubies like all corundum’s forms a trigonal crystalline system.

Rubies contain small amounts of chromium; this causes their pink-red flare.

Rubies occur in igneous or metamorphic rocks and are also found as small pebbles.

The best quality rubies come from Burma and Sri Lanka.

Rubies are often heat treated to improve colour and clarity.

They are prized for their unique red-pink flare, as was partially explained earlier.

Rubies may have small amounts of iron in them causing orange-red or brownish-red tints. The less tints, the more valuable the ruby.

In some countries a “medicine ruby” is used to cure some   circulatory disorders.

In Indian culture rubies are traditionally used as the “gemstone for the sun”, leader of the 9 planets. ↓    ↓      ↓     ↓      ↓     ↓      ↓     ↓      ↓     ↓      ↓     ↓      ↓     ↓      ↓     ↓      ↓     ↓      ↓     ↓      ↓     ↓      ↓     ↓      ↓     ↓