July Birthstone, the magical, fiery ruby.

The July birthstone, the Ruby, is a stone of nobility, considered the most magnificent of all gems. It is the queen of stones and the stone of kings. Ancients believed it surpassed all other precious stones in virtue, and its value exceeded even that of the Diamond. The Chinese Emperor Kublai Khan was said to have offered an entire city in exchange for a sizable Ruby.

The July birthstone has been believed to be a talisman and a protector

The July birthstone, Revered in many cultures throughout history, the July birthstone, the ruby, has always been a talisman of passion, protection and prosperity. It symbolizes the sun, and its glowing hue suggests an inextinguishable flame within the stone that legends claim would shine through even the thickest clothing and could not be hidden; if Ruby were cast into water it would cause it to boil, and if carved and pressed into wax, it would melt the wax.

It was worn as an amulet or charm to ward off plague and pestilence, warned its wearer of impending danger, kept the body safe, and banished sadness and foolish thoughts. It was reputed to bring its owner peace, drive away frightful dreams, restrain lust, and to help resolve disputes. Burmese legend declares inserting a Ruby into the flesh would make one completely invulnerable.

The Powers of the Ruby, the July birthstone  

The movie “The Wizard of Oz” confirmed the magical qualities of the ruby when they gave a pair to Dorothy to provide protection to her. For years, the ruby is believed to have supernatural and special powers. These include providing protection, physical and emotional healing energy, healing and spiritual energy. To learn more about the Ruby, its history and lore go to the GIA Encyclopedia of gems.

Natural Rubies and their flaws

The July birthstone, the ruby, like all natural Rubies have imperfections within them, including color impurities and inclusions of Rutile needles known as “silk.” These inclusions help distinguish natural Ruby from synthetics and when structurally oriented so the light shines off the “silk” in certain ways, the inclusions actually increase the rarity and value of the stone. If cut en cabochon, these special stones may display a chatoyancy, or rare “cat’s eye” effect, or in the case of a Star Ruby may display a six-rayed star effect called asterism, that causes the light rays to appear to glide magically across the stone as it is moved. [wikipedia.org][gemstone.org]