Genuine Blood Red Ruby Oval 14kt Gold Ring Ancient Hebrew Amulet #55650 $2199.99
Antique 19th Century Handcrafted Genuine Natural Faceted Two and Three-Quarter Carat Blood Red Ruby Oval. Contemporary High Quality Solid 14kt Yellow Gold Ring (Size 7 – Resizing Available).
CLASSIFICATION: -
ORIGIN: Handcrafted in Russia, 19th Century.
SIZE: Length: 8mm. Width: 7mm. Depth: 5mm. Measurements approximate.
WEIGHT: 2.69 carats
NOTES: Resizing is available.
$2199.99
Details
The Bible makes numerous mentions of ruby, first as one of the twelve precious stones created by God when he created mankind. Ruby is then described as “the lord of gems” when one was given to Aaron on the command of God. And ruby adorned Aaron's breastplate and was symbol of Judah. The Bible also frequently states that the high value of ruby was only exceeded by wisdom and by virtuous women, implying that ruby indeed was exceptionally valuable. In the classical world, rubies from Afghanistan, Ceylon, and Burma were traded in the ancient port cities of the Eastern Mediterranean (often by Phoenicians), and from there traveled throughout Europe.
Celebrating our historical and cultural inheritance here's an exceptionally nice quality 19th century antique hand faceted ruby oval. Hand crafted by a 19th century Russian artisan, part of an heritage renown for the production of the elaborate gemstones and jewelry of the Czars of Medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian Russia. Originally used in indigenous jewelry, this is a very pretty precious gemstone, with a highly desirable dark blood red color and rich texture. It is by and large eye clean, of higher value transparent character as opposed to lower value translucent/opaque rubies. Of course most ruby gemstones are anywhere from lightly to heavily blemished. An almost hallmark characteristic of natural ruby is the presence of blemishes composed of colorless crystalline material.
The colorless crystals might be eye-visible, in the forms of seams; or might be in the form of microscopic crystals which while not individually discernible, nonetheless cause the ruby to be "hazy" in character, rendering the gemstone translucent, or even opaque, rather than transparent. It’s also not uncommon for ruby to contain small little particles of carbon. Unfortunately most transparent “rubies” sold even by the largest and most reputable retailers in the United States are synthetic (read the fine print; and the same is true of emeralds and sapphires). While this particular specimen might not be anywhere near flawless, to the eyes of the casual admirer it is at least eye clean or near eye clean, depending on with what intensity someone wishes to scrutinize the gemstone. It is somewhere between transparent and translucent.
The setting is of contemporary origin. It is a high quality setting manufactured by one of the USA’s leading semi-custom mount producers. It is constructed of solid 14kt yellow gold (NOT merely gold plate). We do have the ability to have the ring sent out for resizing if requested. Additionally, if preferred, the mounting is also available in 14kt solid white gold.
It is more so transparent than translucent, however complete transparency is impaired simply by the fact that it is a fat, darkly hued gemstone, as well as due to the fact that there are some by some dispersed (mostly) colorless crystalline blemishes, some in the form of wispy thin seams. However to the casual admirer they are not discernible with the naked eye. To see them with the naked eye you need to hold the gemstone up to a light source and then scrutinize it carefully. That is why we describe it as between “eye clean” and “near eye clean”, it simply depends upon how intensely one wishes to scrutinize the gemstone. Once set into a pendant or ring however, these thin wisps of crystalline material would be very difficult to see.
Were the gemstone not so darkly hued blood red would be absolutely transparent not withstanding the wisps of (mostly) colorless crystalline material – but this is a very richly hued, blood red ruby. If you hold the gemstone up to a light source, you can appreciate then just how transparent and richly colored this magnificent gemstone is. To the eye the specimen is a dark blood red ruby of even color, the dispersed wispy crystalline blemishes are not individually discernible to the casual admirer, and the deep blood red gemstone possesses very handsome luster and nice sparkles of fiery red around the faceted perimeter edges when held to a light course. Again, if you hold this gemstone up to the light, the deep blood red color can really be appreciated – the rich red texture and captivating depth – it truly looks like a crystallized drop of blood.
While this colorful precious gemstone is not absolutely transparent (principally due to the thickness and dark tone it possesses), it is certainly toward the higher end of the quality spectrum as opposed to lower quality translucent/opaque ruby “brights”. As might be expected under magnification the gemstone shows the unmistakable, hallmark characteristics of having been hand crafted. The coarseness of the antique, handcrafted finish is considered desirable to most gemstone aficionados, and is not considered a detriment, or detract from the value of a gemstone. These characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, many believe that such antique hand-crafted gemstones possess much greater character and appeal than today's mass-produced, laser-cut gemstones. Unlike today’s computer controlled machine produced gemstones that approach flawlessness in a perfect finish, the cut and finish of an antique, handcrafted gemstone such as this is the legacy of an artisan who lived two centuries ago.
Handcrafted though it may be the gemstone possesses great luster and texture, some nice sparkles, and to the eye is somewhere between transparent and translucent (much more toward the former than the latter), but again, of course, that does not mean it is flawless. True, the blemishes it possesses are not as easily discerned by the naked eye as is the case in the accompanying photo enlargements. Once set into a pendant or ring, to casual scrutiny it will simply be a richly colored blood red ruby gemstone of even color, excellent luster, and some nice sparkle. However in these photo enlargements you can discern some very faint colorless crystalline blemishes. Of course much the same may said about almost any antique gemstone of natural origin, and in particular with regard to natural ruby. An absolutely flawless gemstone simply is not the rule in nature. Most absolutely flawless gemstones will upon close examination be revealed to be synthetic, as perfect gemstones are the realm of laboratory-produced gemstones, not Mother Nature. These photo enlargements also reveal some occasional irregularities in the cut, faceting, and finish consequence of hand-crafting.
Naturally these characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, you must also consider that two centuries ago the mining techniques even possible then, let alone in practice, did not allow the ultra deep mining operations which are so commonplace today. Keep in mind two centuries ago mankind was more or less limited to surface deposits or near surface deposits of gemstones. Higher quality gemstones which today are routinely mined from beneath hundreds of meters, even kilometers beneath the earth's surface, were simply inaccessible then. It is precisely for these reasons antique gemstones must be appreciated as antiques first, gemstones second. The relatively superlative quality of contemporary gemstones routinely mined from deep beneath the earth's surface today were simply not accessible two centuries ago, or at least, only rarely so. However for most, the unique nature and character of these antique gemstones more than makes up for the blemishes found within the gemstones, as well as the cutting irregularities common to handcrafted gemstones, all of which are by and large (if at all) are only visible under magnification.
RUBY HISTORY: The name ruby comes from the Latin "rubeus" (red). In the ancient world ruby was believed to possess magical powers, and was worn as a talisman for protection from plagues, poison, sorrow, and evil spirits. The ruby symbolized freedom, charity, dignity and divine power, and was associated with fire and blood, implying warmth and life for mankind. Some ancient cultures believed that rubies, as well as other gemstones, grew on trees, just like fruit. The rubies would begin budding as small white gems, and would slowly grow and ripen, turning red in the light of the sun. When the ruby was saturated with red color, it was ready to be plucked. In the classical world, rubies from Afghanistan, Ceylon, India were traded in the ancient port cities of the Eastern Mediterranean (often by Phoenicians), and from there traveled throughout Europe.
However it is believed that most of the ancient world’s ruby came from Ceylon, where evidence suggests ruby may have been mined for the past 20,000 years. Archaeologists have uncovered ancient Etruscan jewelry with Celanese ruby which dates back to the seventh century B.C. However scientists believe that ruby has also been mined in Burma since Paleolithic and Neolithic times as well, as tools have been excavated by archaeologists dating both to the Bronze Age as well as backwards into the Stone Age. In ancient literature, the ruby was described both by the fourth century B.C. Greek Philosopher/Scientist Theophratus (student and successor of Plato and Socrates) as well as by Pliny, the first century A.D. Roman historian and naturalist. In ancient Rome the ruby was associated with the principles of justice and its administrators (the judicial system).
Ancient literature from China indicates that ruby was traded along the northern silk route, moving westward into Europe. The Bible as well makes numerous mentions of ruby, first as one of the twelve precious stones created by God when he created mankind. Ruby is then described as “the lord of gems” when one was given to Aaron on the command of God. And ruby adorned Aaron's breastplate and was symbol of Judah. The Bible also frequently states that the high value of ruby was only exceeded by wisdom and by virtuous women, implying that ruby indeed was exceptionally valuable. The Greeks believed that the "fire" evidenced by a ruby's red coloration could melt wax. Greeks legends speak about huge rubies which were given to Heraclea by the female stork to lighten her room as a token of her kindness.
The ancient populations of the Mediterranean also believed that the color of a ruby would change mirroring changes in the health of its owner, and that the color would drain from a ruby at the moment its owner died. In Antiquity and through the Middle Ages it was believed that the cosmos was reflected in gemstones. Ruby was associated with the planet Mars. Ruby was deemed to be the most precious of gemstones not only in the Bible, but also in ancient Sanskrit writings. In Sanskrit, an ancient language of India, ruby was called "ratnaraj", which means "King of Gems". To them, this fiery stone burned with an inextinguishable fire, capable of boiling the water in which it was placed. Ancient Indian legends said that God first created ruby and later created man to possess it, and that he who offered rubies to the gods would be reincarnated as a powerful king or emperor.
In ancient India rubies were also sorted into upper class, middle class, and lower class stones in relation to their color, flawlessness and beauty. Much like Indian society today, no inferior ruby was allowed contact with an upper class ruby because it was believed the low-caste ruby would contaminate the better one, thereby diminishing its magical powers. In nearby ancient Burma it was felt a ruby must not just be worn, but embedded in the skin to become part of the body, thus making the wearer invulnerable. Up in time through Medieval Europe, rubies were worn as a talisman for protection against unhappiness, lightening and upsetting dreams. The ruby was also believed to encourage bliss, and was used to treat fever and heart disorders relating to blood flow through the ventricles. It was also believed that when worn on the left hand or in a brooch on the left side, ruby enabled the wearer to live in peace among enemies.
Ruby was greatly valued in the Medieval Arab world. There are many references to ruby in ancient Arabic literature, including many references to “yakut”, a term used for red corundum (ruby) during the sixth through tenth centuries, culminating in a noteworthy treatise by the 11th century Arab scholar Al-Biruni, who conducted specific gravity determinations on a whole series of gemstones. Throughout Medieval Central Asia, the Near East, and China ruby was used to ornament armor, scabbards, and harnesses of noblemen. Rubies were laid beneath the foundation of buildings to secure good fortune to the structure. Much of the ruby reaching early Medieval Europe came from Badakshan, on the border between present-day Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Marco Polo described visiting these mines in his accounts of his travels.
In Medieval Europe, rubies were considered even more valuable than diamonds. In 16th century ruby was priced 8 times higher than diamond. Rubies were viewed as a stone of prophecy, used by medieval shamans and sorcerers to divine the future. Ruby was also worn as a talisman, as it was believed that the stone darkened when danger was near and then returned to its original color when the danger was past. It was believed that wearing ruby would attract good health, wisdom, fortune, and true love. Ruby was also thought to be an antidote to poisoning as well. In England, ruby was used for royal coronation rings. Medieval Europe also believed that ruby had important medical applications. A thirteenth century prescription to cure liver problems called for powdered ruby, and it was also believed that when rubbed on the skin, ruby would restore youth and vitality. Ivan the Terrible of Russia stated that rubies were good for the heart, brain and memory.