07.21.15 Ruby Tuesday

Rubies in the Gem Gallery
  National Museum of Natural History

Did you miss me yesterday (did you notice)?

I usually post on Mondays, but this week - in honor of July's birthstone - I'm mixing it up and posting a day late.

Rubies get their name from the Latin word for red, ruber, and their color from the element chromium. They are also one of four gemstones (along with diamond, emerald and sapphire) are called "precious".  This classification goes back to ancient Greece, and is based on their relative rarity and color purity.  There are many modern stones that are rarer, and more expensive, but these four gems are the ones that carry this particular designation.

Photo credit:
Met Museum

Precious gems have been used in jewelry throughout history. This gold earring with a faceted ruby is from the Censola Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Even in antiquity, jewelry makers cut facets into stones to enhance their ability to capture and reflect light - and in so doing - enhance their natural color.

The most highly prized stones are a true red - but not so dark that they don't allow light to pass through when they are cut.

This ring  (also shown in the Smithsonian display shown above) is the Carmen Lucia Ruby.  At over 23 carats, it is one of the largest faceted Burmese rubies in the world, and as the Smithsonian site describes it "an extraordinary gemstone".

Carmen Lúcia Ruby

At 23.10 carats, the Carmen Lúcia Ruby is the largest faceted ruby in the National Gem Collection and one of the finest large, faceted Burmese rubies known. - See more at: http://geogallery.si.edu/index.php/en/1375040/carmen-lcia-ruby#sthash.Z3AdfhAn.dpuf

At 23.10 carats, the Carmen Lúcia Ruby is the largest faceted ruby in the National Gem Collection and one of the finest large, faceted Burmese rubies known - See more at: http://geogallery.si.edu/index.php/en/1375040/carmen-lcia-ruby#sthash.Z3AdfhAn.dpuf

At 23.10 carats, the Carmen Lúcia Ruby is the largest faceted ruby in the National Gem Collection and one of the finest large, faceted Burmese rubies known - See more at: http://geogallery.si.edu/index.php/en/1375040/carmen-lcia-ruby#sthash.Z3AdfhAn.dpuf

At 23.10 carats, the Carmen Lúcia Ruby is the largest faceted ruby in the National Gem Collection and one of the finest large, faceted Burmese rubies known - See more at: http://geogallery.si.edu/index.php/en/1375040/carmen-lcia-ruby#sthash.Z3AdfhAn.dpuf

Photo credit:
Smithsonian Institution

I don't have any rubies in my personal jewelry collection, in fact, my favorite ruby isn't a gem at all - but Ruby Red Grapefruit - so named for its beautiful red color (and delicious flavor).  But, I digress.  Since this is a jewelry blog, I have put together a Pinterest collection for you to peruse.

Photo credit: TexasSweet.com

Have a fabulous Tuesday, and a wonderful week!

Until next time.

1.5.15 Ancient History

Today's earrings are from the Metropolitan Museum of Art .  The design is reminiscent of Greek boats, and very typical of the items in the museum's Hellenistic jewelry collection.  The earrings are gold vermeil, and the "boat" part is solid, which gives them a great feel when I wear them, but they are by no means heavy.

They are also "ancient" in the sense that I bought them more than 30 years ago - from the shop catalog.  I saw them in the glossy paper catalog, filled out the paper order form, wrote a check, and sent it back to the museum in a prepaid envelop. (Postage was sufficiently inexpensive that the vendor paid it for you as a way to encourage ordering).

I waited, and in a couple of weeks the box arrived in the US mail with my shiny new bauble. 

The basic design dates back to roughly 350 B.C. - proving once again, that great design is truly timeless.