About Rubies Colours: Red. Hardness: 9

The Ruby is the rarest gem in the family Corundum. It forms in hexagonal prisms and may be found in an extremely limited number of locations in the United States, including Montana and North Carolina. Its deep red colour fetches highest prices in the jewelry arena and it may be either faceted or fashioned into Cabochons. The other famous member of the Corundum family is the Sapphire.

The word Corundum derives from the Sanskrit Kuruvida, or Ruby.

Rubies are the July birthstone.