King of the Ancient Gemstones: Ruby Trumps Diamond
Western culture has a relatively shallow relationship with gemstones. Most people place great value on diamonds as being symbolic of commitment and only a few know this entire ritual began in a 1947 De Beers advertising campaign which pushed the line: "A Diamond is Forever.” To understand the inordinate importance of gemstones in history one needs to turn from the blinding light of diamonds because in reality, right up to the mid-20th century, rubies were a girl’s best friend.
Two crystals of lustrous and translucent, cherry red ruby with exquisite micro-details on the faces and sharp bevelled edges. The larger one, exhibiting superb crystal form, measures 1.5 cm across. Recovered from: Winza, Mpapwa, Mpapwa (Mpwampwa) District, Dodoma region, Tanzania. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The Magical Superstition of the Ruby
Ruby is one of the traditional ‘cardinal’ gems along with amethyst, sapphire, emerald, and diamond and the word ruby comes from ruber, Latin for red. When rubies are mined they are light pink to blood-red in color and the gemstone is composed with the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). In 1913 the famous gem explorer George Frederick Kunz wrote The Curious Lore of Precious Stones; and his subtitle underlines the ruby spectrum in history, its topics included; Folk Lore, Superstitions, Symbolism, Mysticism, Use in Medicine, Protection, Prevention, Religion, and Divination, Crystal Gazing, Birthstones, Lucky Stones and Talismans, Astral, Zodiacal and Planetary. Speaking of the magical healing properties of rubies Kunz said they were: “sovereign remedies for hemorrhages of all kinds, as well as for all inflammatory diseases; they were also believed to exercise a calming influence and to remove anger and discord.’
A naturally occurring ruby (corundum) crystal before faceting. Length 0.8 inches (2 cm). (Public License).
Rubies were embalmed in superstitions and have long been associated with protecting financial assets, for example, in 1365 AD Sir John Mandeville the great explorer wrote his book Travels in which he said he had heard that: “Once a man had touched the four corners of his land with his Ruby, then his house, vineyard and orchard would be protected from lightning, tempests and poor harvest.” Furthermore, it was believed rubies changed dulled in color to warn their owner of impending disasters. Whether or not one believes any of these legendary properties of the gemstone, the science of ‘Color Psychology’ associates red with certain very strong emotions including; lust, power, excitement, love, aggression and passion, and some scientists even claim aid that sports teams wearing red outperform teams in other colors.
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Early cultures across the world associated rubies with blood and it was believed they held esoteric powers. The ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus (371 - 287 BC) wrote a treatise titled On Stones (Περὶ λίθων), which became a major source for other lapidaries until at least the Renaissance era. Theophrastus classified rocks and gems based on their behavior and properties when heated and cooled, further grouping minerals by common properties, such as amber and magnetite: “which both have the power of attraction.” He also claimed that rubies could be male or female; the ‘male’ stones were darker and more brilliant than the ‘female’ stones, which are lighter with a weaker luster.
Ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus, depicted in the Nuremberg Chronicle. (Public License).
