Rubies are some of the rarest and most beautiful gems in the world, but when and where did they originate?
It’s estimated that rubies were discovered just over two thousands years ago in India, rapidly making their way out of the country along trade routes through China. Since the 7th century, Burma (Myanmar) has produced a huge proportion of the world’s rubies.
Read on to learn more about the ruby, its history, and its value in the jewelry world.
Back To The Beginning
Apparently, experts have traced back the existence of jewelry some twenty-five thousand years, with the oldest evidence being a simple necklace uncovered in Monaco. It seems that for as long as humans have been able to craft things, they’ve created jewelry in some way or another.
From amulets to crowns, and from rings to brooches, there are endless types and styles of jewelry that have existed over thousands of years. In various places around the world, different jewelry-centric traditions exist, such as the lip plugs and neck rings that are commonplace in African tribes.
However, one central aspect of jewelry that is more or less a universal constant is the appreciation and use of gemstones. Throughout history, gemstones have enjoyed mass popularity and several use cases that effectively propelled them into being some of the highest value products on earth.
Pound-for-pound, there are so few things that are worth as much as gemstones. There’s a dramatically intense market for gemstones that is consistently bustling and breaking all manner of records.
Today, there’s a few gemstones that make up the core of the jewelry market: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. These stones are some of the most sought-after, coveted, and most expensive out of all the jewels we know of.
Rubies are considered some of the most beautiful gemstones in existence, typically boasting a gorgeous, red hue that naturally draws the eye. They’re also incredibly resilient and long-lasting, and have been adored by the human race for more than two thousand years.
It’s thought that rubies originated in India as far back as 200 BC, and quickly left the country on trade routes through China. Before long, rubies were used as currency, for decorative purposes, and in jewelry.
Real Rubies, Roaming The Earth
Rubies boast one of the most storied legacies out of any gemstone known to man, often being linked to mythical powers, magical forces, and healing abilities. They’ve long been believed to bring luck to the owner, and as such, Chinese warriors sewed rubies into their battle armor.
They’d also have them inlaid into their swords, claiming they’d provide protection from harm. In many cases, rubies have been named the King of Gemstones, allegedly being the most precious of all twelve gemstones originally created by God.
As rubies found their way around the world, other nations began coveting their beauty. They became popular with the world’s elite members, and with royal families, taking pride of place in many jewel collections.
For example, there’s an enormous ruby called the Black Prince’s Ruby that sits at the front of the British Crown. It’s an irregular ruby but intensely beautiful and weighs around one hundred and seventy carats.
We’ve already established that rubies are long-lasting and resilient, but this particular gemstone transcends that fact. It has been in the possession of the English monarchy since the 14th century, and before that it was owned by an Arab prince.
It’s one of the most legendary rubies in history, having been worn in battle by old kings of England, again with the belief it would bring luck. Somewhat ironically, the two kings that wore the gemstone into battle were either seriously injured or killed.
In fact, the Arab prince who originally owned the stone, Abu Sa’id, was brutally murdered with the stone quite literally in his pocket. With that in mind, maybe it wasn’t such a wise decision to put so much faith in the protection of a stone.
Today, you can find rubies for a price of around one hundred to twelve thousand dollars per carat. They’re some of the more expensive gemstones and considerably rare, but definitely worth the investment.
While diamonds are ten a penny, fine rubies are much rarer and should appreciate dramatically over time. Although, the starting price for such rubies is already unachievable for most collectors.
If you’d like to find out just how expensive rubies can be, you should check out this article that we published.