It's Ruby Season - Meet July's Birthstone

Ruby is held in incredibly high regard thanks to a combination of factors. Individually these factors would be impressive, but all together they’re pretty breathtaking…

Rubies are almost as hard as diamonds on the MOHS scale, registering a 9. This makes them incredibly durable and wearable (it’s also why synthetic rubies are used in industries like watchmaking, laser technology, and medical instruments). They’re also rarer than diamonds.

Rubies are derived from a compound called corundum,which is also what sapphires are made from. Rubies are a bright, brilliant red thanks to the presence of chromium, with the finest, most sought-after shade being a deep red with a hint of purple, known as “pigeon’s blood” to jewellers’.

Chromium also glows under UV rays, which is why rubies look so magical in the sun!

For centuries, if not millennia, rubies have been considered one of the finest stones of all. In Sanskrit, ruby is ratnaraj, which means king of the precious stones, and rubies were also mentioned four times in the Bible, associated with things like beauty and wisdom. In the past, it’s also been known as the most precious of the 12 stones created by God (which is where the idea of birthstones is thought to originate from) – so in short, they’re a pretty big deal.

Ancient warriors in Myanmar and China wore rubies on their armour to protect themselves in battle, sometimes even going as far as inserting rubies in their bodyfor invincibility!

Another connotation that rubies had in China was with that of good luck, because red is the colour of fortune. With this in mind, people used to wear rubies in order to draw other people to them. It was believed that rubies stimulated the inner life force, enthralling people with a natural charisma imbued in the stone.

Plus, just as heat makes water pure in the act of boiling, rubies were also associated with moral purity thanks to their fiery colour.

In more modern times, rubies are still one of the most sought-after gemstones, with the most ruby ever sold being The Sunrise Ruby (it’s also the most expensive non-diamond gemstone ever sold). Elizabeth Taylor had a famously large ruby collection – Richard Taylor once told her it was his mission to find her the most perfect ruby in the world – and Queen Elizabeth II herself commissioned a tiara made with 96 rubies from Myanmar in the 70s.

Because of their powerful meaning, there’s also a strong connection between the British royal family and rubies: including a ruby as a central stone in the Coronation Ring for each new monarch has been a tradition since the 13th century.

Whether you’re buying it for romantic love, prosperity, or protection, rubies make July birthstone jewellery a gorgeous gift or treat for yourself (you deserve it!) But you don’t have to commission a tiara like Queen Elizabeth, or drop $30 million on them, like the anonymous owner of the Sunrise Ruby did – you can check out my lichen birthstone collection instead.

Inspired by lichen, one of our natural world’s most incredible creations, each piece is designed to look wonderfully textured and organic, with the rubies perfectly nestled like drops of rain. Each gemstone – not just in my July birthstone jewellery but across every single piece I make – is ethically sourced, ensuring that the planet is as happy as you are with your new purchase.