Is your ruby red or pink? You might think its red, but if you’re not sure, it’s important to know that there are several different colors of ruby available, and your specific stone may actually be one called natural rubellite. These two gems look similar, but they have very different properties which make them valuable in different ways; knowing how to tell the difference between them can help you get the most out of your ruby stone when selling it or using it to make jewelry.
A ruby is a red gemstone that is often used in jewelry. It is one of the few loose gemstones with a natural color other than white, black, or brown. The name comes from ruber which means red in Latin. A rubellite is an dark pinkish-red gemstone with good saturation that can be found alongside rubies in some parts of the world, but it has its own distinct characteristics. The most notable difference between a ruby and a rubellite is the color. Other differences include shape (more rectangular), luster (less shiny), density (less dense), and specific gravity (gems are lighter).
The best way to tell natural ruby stone from rubellite is by looking at the clarity of each stone. If you are able to see through a stone, then it is a ruby. However, if there are inclusions or clouds that obscure your view, it is most likely a rubellite. Another way you can tell them apart is by their color; rubies are red while rubellites can be any color but usually have more than one hue. Both natural gemstones come from the same gemstone family, corundum (or aluminum oxide), so they will look similar when cut. That being said, rubellite does not require as much care as ruby because its lower hardness makes it less prone to scratches and chips. When purchasing either stone always ask for an assessment of its clarity!
The hardness of rubies is 9 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. This means that a ruby can be scratched by all other minerals in the Mohs scale with a hardness of less than 9. However, when it comes to rubellite, they are not as hard as rubies and have a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. A mineral with a hardness of less than 7 can scratch a mineral with a hardness of 7. But even if a mineral has hardness greater than 7, it cannot scratch another mineral with the same or higher degree of hardness. So in this sense, rubies are more durable because they are harder to break and rubellite is softer.
A difference in refractive index between two minerals causes their color. Diamonds are a perfect example of this phenomenon. When white light passes through a diamond, it is split into its component colors by the gem's internal crystal structure. The refraction separates these colors (red, orange, yellow, green, and blue). One of these colors is visible on the surface of the stone while others are seen internally. In a ruby, which has a relatively high refractive index for corundum because of trace amounts of chromium oxide, all three primary colors (yellow, red, and blue) can be seen when looking at the stone's surface. In rubellite, with lower indices due to trace amounts of titanium oxide or aluminum oxide in feldspar-rich rock material instead of chromium oxide; only one primary color is visible at any given time as different wavelengths reach your eye first before getting canceled out.
In order to distinguish between ruby and rubellite, it is important that you have a gemological microscope. Fluorescence is one of the main methods used in this identification process. Fluorescence is when a gemstone reacts with ultraviolet light or sunlight by emitting a second color different from its natural color. Ruby fluoresces red, whereas rubellite does not react at all to UV light. The other way of telling these two gems apart is by examining their spectra.
The ruby is a type of gemstone that falls in the corundum family and is known for its deep red color. A rubellite is a type of gemstone that falls in the tourmaline family, but it looks similar to ruby because of its red color. They are not as hard as diamonds or sapphires but are still very durable stones. Both gems are valuable, though rubies are more expensive than rubellites because they are rarer. If you are looking to buy gemstones online then check out our amazing collection of gemstones and gemstone beads also on our site.