The Gem of the Sun

Ruby is the red variety of corundum — the same mineral as sapphire — and one of the four traditional precious gemstones. Its colour, caused by chromium, ranges from brownish-red to the prized "pigeon's blood" of the finest stones.

Gemologically, ruby is described as transparent to translucent, with a vitreous luster — qualities that shape how it catches and carries light once cut. Its colour comes from chromium, and a Mohs hardness in this range holds up well to daily wear, making it a practical choice for rings as well as earrings and pendants.

"Pigeon's Blood" — The Most Famous Colour Term in Gemstones

No phrase carries more weight in the ruby trade than "pigeon's blood." It describes a specific, narrow colour: a pure, vivid red with a slight blue-violet secondary tone, in a medium-to-medium-dark tone — saturated enough to glow, but never so dark it looks brownish or blackish. The name is said to come from the colour of the first drops of blood from a freshly killed pigeon's eye, a vivid image that has stuck for over a century.

Historically, "pigeon's blood" was associated almost exclusively with the finest rubies from Myanmar's Mogok valley, where the combination of chromium content and trace fluorescence produces this glowing red even in low light. Today, major labs (including GRS and Gübelin) will apply a "pigeon's blood" colour description to exceptional rubies that meet the colour criteria regardless of origin — though Burmese stones meeting this standard remain the most historically associated with the term, and command the strongest premiums.

The "King of Gems"

In Sanskrit, ruby is called ratnaraj — "king of gems" — reflecting its position at the top of the gem hierarchy in ancient Indian texts, where it was associated with the Sun and considered one of the most powerful of the navaratna. In Burma, warriors are said to have embedded rubies under their skin or carried them into battle, believing the stone offered protection and invincibility — a tradition tied directly to Mogok's status as a ruby-producing region for over a thousand years.

Ruby's history also includes one of gemology's most famous cases of mistaken identity: several of history's most celebrated "rubies" — including the Black Prince's Ruby in the British Imperial State Crown and the Timur Ruby, both with histories tracing through Mughal and Persian rulers — are now known to actually be red spinels, a different mineral that was historically indistinguishable from ruby before modern gemological testing. These "balas rubies," as red spinel was once called, were prized just as highly as true ruby for centuries, and their stories remain woven into royal regalia today even after their reclassification.

The Romans grouped most transparent red gemstones — including ruby, garnet, and spinel — under the term carbunculus ("little ember"), reflecting how the stone's glow reminded them of hot coals; Pliny the Elder described such stones at length in his Natural History. Red gems were popular in Roman engraved signet rings and jewellery, and — much like in Burmese tradition — were sometimes associated with vitality, courage, and protection in battle, an association that recurs across many of the cultures that have prized ruby and its red relatives throughout history.

Where Ruby Comes From

Mogok — The Valley of Rubies

The Mogok valley in Myanmar (Burma) has produced rubies for over a thousand years and remains the source against which all other ruby is measured. Its rubies are prized for a glowing red enhanced by strong red fluorescence under both daylight and UV — part of what gives true pigeon's blood Burmese ruby its inner "glow." Fine Mogok material is genuinely scarce and has long carried significant ethical and supply-chain considerations due to the region's history, which is part of why so much of the modern ruby trade has shifted toward Mozambique and Madagascar.

Mozambique — Montepuez and the Modern Ruby Boom

The discovery of the Montepuez deposit in northern Mozambique around 2009 transformed the ruby market almost overnight, providing a major new supply of fine-quality ruby — including stones that meet "pigeon's blood" colour criteria — at a scale Madagascar and Myanmar alone could not match. Mozambican ruby is now found at every level of the market, from commercial-grade to museum-quality, and has become the primary source for most fine ruby jewellery sold today.

Bangkok — The Trading Crossroads

While Thailand's own ruby deposits (notably around Chanthaburi) are largely depleted, Bangkok remains the world's dominant centre for ruby cutting, heat treatment, and trading — rubies mined in Myanmar, Mozambique, Madagascar, and elsewhere are very often cut and/or treated in Thailand before reaching the global market. "BKK-cut" or "Bangkok-treated" are common trade references reflecting this role, distinct from a stone's actual geological origin.

Manik — Sun's Stone

In Indian Vedic astrology (Jyotish Shastra), ruby is known as Manik and is associated with Surya (Sun).

How Ruby Is Graded

Quality in ruby is generally assessed across colour, clarity, cut, and carat weight — with colour and overall character typically the dominant factors in value.

What a Lab Report Confirms

A lab report identifies the species, describes colour, and discloses any treatment. Heat treatment is extremely common in ruby to improve colour and clarity; glass-filling of fractures is also seen in lower grades and should always be disclosed, as it significantly affects value.

Natural, Ethical, Jaipur-Sourced

Every ruby in the Paraiso Jewels vault is described accurately as to its natural or treated status on its label. We source through Jaipur's gem market — one of the world's oldest and most concentrated coloured-stone trading centres — and our stones can be verified at GTL Jaipur, the region's principal gem testing authority.

On request, each piece can be accompanied by documentation covering weight, dimensions, and treatment status. If you have questions about the origin or treatment of a specific stone, contact us via WhatsApp or email and we'll provide full details.