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Historically rubies and other precious gems were thought to have special medical purposes in treating various human problems. Rubies also have had a high status in religious traditions. Rubies and sapphires share the mineral family of corundum. Red corundum is termed ruby and they get their red color from the presence of chromium. "Rubies are referred as nature's perfect imperfections" (News World Communications, Inc. 1997, p. 4). Rubies are the 9 on the hardest scale, which goes from 1 to 10. It is ironic that a ruby is also composed of the two softest elements, aluminum and oxygen. Rubies have a vitreous (glasslike) to adamantine (diamond like) luster. Rubies can be found many locations. A few rubies have been found in North Carolina, in the U.S., although the most important ruby locality is Burma. Rubies are or have also been mined in Kenya, Thailand, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. Rubies and sapphires can also be artificially produced. One method involves the melting of a high-purity powder of the same chemical composition as a ruby, usually by heating it with a oxygen-hydrogen flame. "Rubies are what Rembrandt is to the world of painting. With their fiery reds, and a wide spectrum of other colors, this gem has and will be cherished by civilizations for years to come. (News World Communications, Inc. 1997, p. 4). |
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