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Health & Fitness

Ravishing Ruby

Ruby is the “favorite gem among those in power and those in love.”

Rarer than diamonds, fine rubies have evoked passionate feelings in all of us since the beginning of history.  The durable, deep red stone has always been highly regarded.  The distinctive red color is a symbol of life, love, and power, and was thought to improve health.  Many kings, emperors, and high-ranking officials wore (and still wear) rubies as symbols of rank.  In England, rubies are still a popular stone for engagement rings among royalty and common people alike.

Marco Polo’s 13th century book describing his travels tells the story of one legendary ruby.  Nine inches long and as thick as a man’s arm, it belonged to the King of Ceylon.  The Emperor of China offered the King of Ceylon an entire city for the magnificent stone, but the King of Ceylon refused, saying he would not part with the gem for all the treasures in the world.  Given rubies’ mystical powers to improve health, guard against wicked thoughts and disputes, and warn their owners of danger, Ceylon’s choice to keep his gemstone is understandable!

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The Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC owns several very fine rubies. One, weighing 23.1 carats, was mined in Burma (Myanmar) in the 1930’s before trade with the country was stopped.  It is set in an exquisite platinum and diamond setting and is an especially transparent example of ruby.

Today’s rubies come from Thailand, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Pakistan, and India. There have even been some found in the US in Montana, Wyoming, and the Carolinas.

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