Piece of the Week: A Ruby Design
Hello my gems, how is this week treating you so far? Over here at Daniella Kronfle Jewelry things are splendid, as we work very hard to get ready for the holiday shopping season, which this year, promises to be the busiest season yet. One of the highlights of this is the new designs that come in for my holiday collection and this, our piece of the week, is one of them.
Rubies are considered one of the four precious stones, together with sapphires, emeralds and diamonds. Their color is caused mainly by the presence of chromium, making them close cousins to sapphires, since they are both a variety of the mineral corundum. Fun fact: since they are the same mineral they could be classified together, but rubies are so special that they get their own classification.
I love using rubies in my work, especially when I am doing more classic pieces like this one.
Historically speaking , rubies have always been coveted due to their deep red color. As you know, red is the color of love, making them one of the most popular gemstones. In ancient times it was though of as "the king of gems," and represented devotion, happiness, healing, courage, generosity, inspiration, prosperity and of course romance.
When I was going through the creative process, the rubies were the ones that determined the design because they were so magnificent. Sometimes a designer has to let the material shine through and take a step back, and that is exactly what happened when I was designing this majestic statement ring.
Rubies have long been a favorite of royals, having been used for coronation rings and jewelry. In England, Prince Andrew gave the infamous Fergie a ruby sparkler for their engagement, in contrast to the late Diana's sapphire one. I happen to think that rubies are a great choice for engagement rings, since their blood-red color has been sign of love and devotion for centuries.
All natural rubies have imperfections in them; in fact, that's how jewelers and gemologists are able to tell them apart from man made stones. These imperfections are referred to as "silk." Rubies are tough and durable. The only other stone harder than a ruby is a diamond, making them highly desired in the world of jewelry. Since rubies are so rare, a ruby is more valuable than a diamond of the same size.
When buying rubies, the four C's of diamond buying are still applicable, although clarity is less strict for rubies than for diamonds. A diamond that has zero imperfections is very likely to be a fake. The cut is your choice, of course, and as far as clarity goes, do not purchase a ruby that is cloudy or opaque. The most important feature is the color, which should be a deep red. The richer and deeper the color, the more valuable the stone is.
Love Always
Dani K
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