Fortieth Anniversary Stone: Ruby (Ruby Jubilee)

What is the 40th anniversary stone?

The 40th anniversary stone is the ruby. Forty years together is the ruby jubilee, and it is one of the easy anniversary years, because the traditional anniversary list and the modern list both point to the same stone. There is no traditional-versus-modern split to puzzle over. Forty years is a grand milestone, and the ruby, with its deep red, is a fitting way to mark it.

What a ruby is and how it wears

A ruby is red corundum. Corundum is the mineral, and when it is red we call it a ruby; in any other colour, blue included, we call it a sapphire. So a ruby and a sapphire are chemically the same stone, just coloured differently, the red coming mainly from traces of chromium. That shared identity is good news for durability. Corundum scores a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, second only to diamond, which means a ruby resists scratches and holds up to daily wear about as well as any coloured gem can. For a 40th-anniversary piece meant to be worn for years, that hardness matters. You can put a ruby in an everyday ring without worrying. Our ruby guide covers the varieties in more depth.

Why colour is everything with rubies

With most gems you weigh several factors. With rubies, colour dominates. A ruby's value rises and falls chiefly on the richness and purity of its red. The most prized stones show a vivid, slightly bluish red that the trade calls "pigeon's blood." Stones that skew too dark look muddy, and stones that skew too light drift toward pink sapphire and lose value. After colour comes clarity, then cut, then size. It is worth knowing that most rubies sold today have been heat-treated to improve their colour and clarity. This is a long-standing, accepted practice, not a con, and a well-treated ruby is a perfectly good stone. Untreated rubies with strong natural colour do exist, but they are rare and priced accordingly. When you shop, ask plainly whether a stone is treated, and by which method; a straight answer is a sign of an honest seller.

Why the ruby marks 40 years

The ruby has long stood for deep, enduring feeling, which is why it landed on the fortieth year rather than an early one. Red is the colour we tie to love and warmth, and a ruby is durable enough to have survived being handed down through generations, so it carries a sense of something that lasts. None of this is superstition; it is association built up over centuries. The point for a 40th anniversary is simple: a red stone that has stood for love for a very long time suits four decades of marriage.

Choosing a ruby piece for 40 years

Here is our practical advice. Because a ruby is so hard, you are not boxed in the way you are with a soft stone like a pearl or opal. All the main formats work well:

• Ring. A ruby stands up to daily wear, so a ruby ring is a genuinely sensible everyday piece, not just a special-occasion one. A single ruby flanked by small diamonds is a classic and lets the red carry the piece.
• Pendant. A ruby pendant shows the colour off against the skin and is an easy gift if you are unsure of ring size.
• Earrings. Ruby studs or drops add a warm flash of colour and wear comfortably.

On setting: a ruby's hardness gives you freedom, but a slightly protective setting still helps if the piece will be worn hard. Yellow gold flatters a warm red; white metals make the red read cooler and crisper, so the choice is really about the look you want. If you are marking 40 years by upgrading or resetting a stone the couple already owns, that often means more than something bought outright. Every piece we make is designed and set by our goldsmith on-site in Coquitlam, BC, so we can build a ruby ring, pendant or matching set to fit the wearer, and match a new ruby to the colour of one you already have. Bring in any existing stones and we will plan the piece around them.

A word on buying rubies sensibly, because this is a stone where the price range is enormous. Two rubies of the same size can differ wildly in value depending on colour and origin, so size alone is a poor guide to what you should pay. Rather than chase the largest stone, we tend to advise choosing the best colour you can afford in a modest size, since a small ruby with a rich, even red looks far better on the hand than a big one that reads brownish or washed out. It is also worth caring for a ruby properly, even though it is hard: give it an occasional clean in warm soapy water with a soft brush to lift off the oils that dull any gem, and it will keep its glow for the next generation. That longevity is part of the appeal, since a 40th-anniversary ruby is very much a stone to pass on.

Frequently asked questions