A Guide To Ruby Engagement Rings

Ruby engagement rings make a fantastic alternative to the traditional diamond engagement rings.  This gemstone is just as precious and valued as a diamond, but has a totally different appearance and give your ring a completely different personality.  Read on to find out why ruby engagement rings are such an alluring choice.

Rubies come from the mineral corundum, also called aluminium oxide.  The deep red color comes form chromium present inside of the gemstone.

Although rubies come in shades form pink to deep red, the darkest red, often called pigeon blood red. 

Rubies are one of the 4 precious gemstones, along with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.  This makes them a great and unconventional choice to symbolize your love and devotion.

Rubies look great in just about any cut, and work well in many different styles.  Some people want a slender and elegant look, and for this, you can choose a simple marquis cut and a narrow ring band.  Other people want a more elaborate look that emphasizes the size of the stone.  A cushion cut is good for this. 

If you go with a gold ring band, it can give ruby engagement rings a more antique style and look.  The combination of yellow gold and deep red work very well together, and the gold really emphasizes and complements the ruby's tones.  Ruby engagement rings with yellow gold have a softer, toned-down, more romantic appearance.  You can find some beautiful antique ruby engagement rings, as well. 

In contrast, you can choose white gold, platinum, or even sterling silver.  These metals have slightly different appearances and properties, but they all give a brighter and more modern appearance to ruby engagement rings.

Rubies are admired and valued for the depth and vividness of their color, rather than their sparkle.  So, if you want a ring that really catches the light and still has that dark and brilliant red color, you can have it by adding some accent diamonds.  A pave diamond setting surrounding the central ruby is a brilliant choice for a ruby engagement ring with style and eye-catching sparkle.

Ruby engagement ring settings come in all styles, but it's important to choose a style that can emphasize the ruby without overwhelming it.

Although you aren't buying a large diamond, high quality rubies can be just as expensive, and you have to shop for them just as carefully.

In fact the things you want to look for in a ruby are very similar in what you want to look for in a diamond. The 4Cs of diamonds (cut, color, clarity, and carat) apply to rubies as well.

The cut is how the ruby is shaped and faceted. Rubies are very hard stones--nearly as hard as diamonds! This means that they can easily withstand just about any cut, unlike emeralds, which are more likely to break under stressful cutting procedures. So, although you can find emerald engagement rings in a more limited range of cuts, ruby engagement rings come in any cut you want, from the traditional round or marquis cut, to a more unique pear cut, to a very elegant cushion cut.

Next, is color. For a ruby, deeper reds are more valued. Some people may prefer pink rubies, though. It is important to examine the ruby closely and make sure that the color is even throughout the gemstone.

Clarity in rubies is important as well. When the ruby forms, other materials can get trapped inside, creating noticeable spots inside of the gemstone. While all rubies are somewhat likely to have inclusions, it's important to avoid any that are visible to the naked eye. One thing in particular that you will have to look out for with ruby engagement rings are "silk" inclusions. This is actually titanium dioxide that has the appearance of fine threads of silk.

Carat is a measure of the weight of the ruby, and is similar to diamond carats. Ruby engagement rings with gemstones of a higher carat will be more expensive.

There are a few special things that you will want to look for in rubies.

Silk inclusions can sometimes form a unique pattern that makes rubies even more valuable. Some rubies have a 6-legged star pattern in side. Ruby engagement rings with these rare star rubies are very valuable.

You will also want to find out if the stone has been heat treated or not. Most rubies are heat treated, to improve their color and overall appearance, and to seal any fractures on the surface. While this usually doesn't affect the value of the rubies that are typically used in ruby engagement rings, if you are buying a very expensive gemstone, untreated ones are more valuable.

Just like diamonds, rubies can be bought loose from many online retailers. You can also find plenty of well-designed and beautiful modern ruby engagement rings online. Looking in a traditional jewelry store, it may be difficult to find a good selection of ruby engagement rings, since they are a less common choice, so for ruby engagement rings, online is usually the best way to go.

Another option is to search for estate ruby engagement rings. If you are lucky, you may find a great piece at an estate sale. Some of the jewelry that you can get there can be very high quality.