Ruby

Learn more

Mineral guide

Learn about Ruby

red corundum known for vivid pigeon-blood color, 9 Mohs hardness, and dramatic matrix on marble or zoisite; prized for rarity and notable localities.

Regional guide

Ruby from Mogok Valley, Myanmar

Mogok ruby is the collector’s ruby by which nearly all other ruby localities are still measured. The best pieces show a saturated red to slightly purplish-red body color, a glowing red fluorescence, and a velvety internal softness caused by fine rutile silk. In the finest stones that combination gives the famous “pigeon’s blood” appearance: not merely dark red, but a living red that seems to hold light rather than simply reflect it.