True Love Amulet 14kt Gold Red Ruby Ring "Marquise" Cut #48970 $1399.99
Exquisite, Flashy, Sparkling 19th Century Genuine Natural One and One-Third Carat Eye Clean Exceptionally Good Quality Faceted Marquise Cut Ruby. Contemporary High Quality Solid 14kt Yellow Gold Ring (Size 7 – Resizing Available).
CLASSIFICATION: Faceted Marquise-Cut Ruby Precious Gemstone.
ORIGIN: Handcrafted in Russia, 19th Century. Contemporary USA Manufactured Sterling Silver Ring.
SIZE: Length: 10mm. Width: 5mm. Depth (Thickness): 3mm. Measurements approximate.
WEIGHT: 1.33 carats.
NOTE: Resizing is available. This setting is also available in 14kt solid white gold as well as sterling silver. Write us for pictures and prices.
$1399.99
Details
An absolutely exquisite, exceptionally good quality 19th-century antique hand-faceted ruby. Handcrafted by a 19th-century Russian artisan, part of 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 blood-red color, rich texture, and blinding sparkles of fiery, brilliant bright red flashes. This sparkling precious gemstone is absolutely transparent, flawless to the eye, full of flash and sparkle! This precious gemstone is of exceptionally high character and quality. Of course most ruby gemstones are anywhere from lightly to heavily included. Most completely transparent rubies you see offered today at retail are either synthetic (read the fine print closely) or cost $10,000 a carat. This particular gemstone is an exception.
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.
Though it is not flawless, even at 600% magnification, as you can see in the images here, it is very difficult to pick out the little blemishes this remarkable gemstone possesses. We can pick out a few blemishes with a 10x loupe – but only with very close scrutiny. And yet, this is most assuredly a natural ruby precious gemstone. We guarantee you will be mesmerized and dazzled by the brilliant flash and sparkling, fiery beauty of this natural ruby precious gemstone. It is definitely at the higher end of the quality spectrum. Nonetheless the trained eye will easily detect the unmistakable indications that the gemstone has been hand-cut and hand faceted. The coarseness of the 19th century faceting is considered appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered a detriment. In fact these characteristics of a hand crafted gemstone are considered part and parcel of the magic of such an antique gemstone. Unlike today's computer controlled machine processes, the cut and finish of gemstones such as these is the legacy of an artisan who lived two centuries ago. Such antique hand-faceted gemstones possess much greater character and appeal than today's mass-produced machine-faceted gemstones.
This gemstone has great luster and sparkle, and to the eye is completely transparent, but it is not absolutely without flaw. True, any blemishes it possesses are not visible to the naked eye, and the gemstone can be characterized at a minimum, to use trade jargon, as "eye clean", or “clean”. To the eye it is indeed flawless. Even magnified here in these 600% photo enlargements it is not easy to find any blemishes. However if you magnify it at a high enough power (1,000%); you can pick out a few slight imperfections within the gemstone, not readily perceptible even at such high magnification, and as well occasional irregularities in the faceting and finish. Of course this may be said about most any gemstone. An absolutely flawless gemstone is very rare in nature (and usually turns out to be synthetic). Sooner or later blemishes will show up at higher levels of magnification with almost every natural gemstone.
The coarse finish and occasional blemish are characteristics that are not only expected of antique hand-crafted gemstones, you must also consider that two centuries ago the mining techniques even theoretically possible, let alone commonly practiced, did not allow the ultra deep mining operations which are so commonplace today. 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. So 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 antique gemstones such as this more than makes up for included imperfections which by and large, are (if at all) only visible under high 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 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 Ba 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. Later Medieval Europe’s rubies came principally from the border region Siam (present-day Thailand).
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.
Rubies are mined all over the world, but the highest quality gemstones come from Ceylon, and Siam, then India, Madagascar, Russia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Mexico, and North Carolina in the USA. Ruby is the red variety of corundum, the second hardest natural mineral known to mankind. The non-red variety of corundum is Sapphire. Sapphires are well known among the general public as being blue, but can be nearly any color. A ruby's color is due to a trace of chromic oxide; the amount of this trace mineral determines the depth of color. The most sought after shade of red for ruby is often given the name "pigeon blood red", but ruby can be any shade of red up to almost pink
Throughout the history of the ancient world, gemstones were believed capable of curing illness and providing protection. Found in Egypt dated 1500 B. C., the "Papyrus Ebers" offered one of most complete therapeutic manuscripts containing prescriptions using gemstones and minerals. Gemstones were not only valued for their medicinal and protective properties, but also for educational and spiritual enhancement. In these as well as other ancient cultures, it was believed that rubies brought health, wealth, wisdom, and success in love to those who wore them. The ruby was associated with the sun, and was thought to preserve both mental and physical health. The medicinal uses of ruby included its use to overcome exhaustion and calm hyperactivity. Ruby was also used to detoxify the body and blood, treat fevers, diseases, and restricted blood flow. Wearing ruby was believed to benefit the heart and circulatory system and stimulate the adrenals, kidneys, reproductive organs and spleen. According to one ancient text, ground to a fine powder and placed on the tongue, ruby was used to cure blood diseases, stop bleeding, ensure good health, bring peace, and treat indigestion. Ruby was also believed to be an effective treatment for backaches.
On the metaphysical plane, for thousands of years, ruby was considered the stone of love, passion, and power. It was believed to represent masculinity, nobility, and valor in men; pride, seductiveness, and passion in women. Ruby was believed to restore vital life forces and increase energy, vigor, and zest for life. Ruby was also regarded as the stone of courage, ancient sources citing that the wearer of ruby could pass through life without fear of evil or misfortune, and that ruby would make the wearer invulnerable to wounds, an especially useful attribute for ancient warriors. Wearing ruby was believed to strengthen the wearer during times of controversy or dispute, to shield against physical attack, to enhance creativity and spirituality, and to inspire confidence and self-esteem. Ruby was also believed to be capable of arousing passion and enthusiasm and attracting sexual activity. Even today in Asia ruby is worn by businessmen who believe that ruby improves motivation and the setting of goals, and promotes dynamic leadership. They are believed to heighten one’s state of mind, sharp, hyper-aware and focused.