Welcome to the most concise, yet thorough, guide to rubies ever compiled. In the next fifteen minutes, you can find out enough basics to actually shop for these elegant stones with confidence. For instance, did you know that rubies are simply red sapphires? It's true. Together, sapphires and rubies make the corundum family of gemstones. Don't worry, corundum is just a fancy way of saying aluminum and oxygen. Next to diamonds, rubies are the hardest gemstone in the world. And, although diamonds are usually more valuable, large, exquisite rubies are so rare, that when one over three carats hits the market, it can demand over three times the price of the same size diamond.

The pure red corundum of Myanmar (Burma) have long been the color standard By which all other rubies are judged. But there are sumptuous specimens from Thailand, Cambodia, Africa, Vietnam and China as well.

You get the picture. Our mission is to give you a fun, complete overview of rubies so you can understand the nuances involved in judging quality and appreciating the beauty of these most mysterious, glorious gemstones.

Note:
At the start of each section, you will find a short list of "Express Facts." These nuggets are the bare essentials for ruby shopping. Of course, we encourage you to find out as much as you can before investing in valuable gemstones. But if you want a ruby, and you want it now, jot down these little gems of information to take with you on your shopping spree.