July Birthstone: Ruby

What is the July birthstone?

The July birthstone is ruby. It is the sole modern birthstone for the month on the American Gem Society list, so anyone born in July has one clear stone to call their own. If you'd like to see the full run of months, our birthstones guide lays them all out side by side.

What ruby is and how it wears

Ruby is the red form of corundum, the same mineral as sapphire. That is not a technicality worth glossing over: red corundum is ruby, and corundum of any other colour is sapphire. The red comes from traces of chromium, which is also what pushes the finest stones towards a warm, glowing tone. Colour ranges from a light pinkish red to a deep, almost purplish red, and the most prized shade is a vivid pure red the trade calls pigeon's blood.

For daily wear, ruby is about as good as a coloured stone gets. It sits at 9 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamond among common gems, and unlike emerald it is genuinely tough as well as hard. The International Gem Society rates corundum among the best choices for rings precisely because it shrugs off both scratches and knocks. That means you can wear a ruby ring every day without babying it, which is not something I can say about most colourful stones. Do know that many rubies are heat-treated to improve colour and clarity, which is a long-accepted practice, and a smaller number are treated more heavily; a reputable jeweller will always tell you which you're looking at.

The meaning and history of ruby

Few stones carry as much weight across history as ruby. Its name comes from the Latin ruber, simply meaning red, and Sanskrit texts called it ratnaraj, the king of gems. It has long been associated with passion, courage and vitality, which is unsurprising for a stone the colour of blood and fire. Burmese warriors were said to carry rubies into battle for protection, and European royalty prized them for centuries, though many famous royal 'rubies' turned out on later inspection to be red spinel, a different mineral that fooled a lot of experienced eyes. Historically the Mogok valley in Burma produced the benchmark stones, and Burmese rubies still command the strongest reputation, with fine material also coming from Mozambique and elsewhere.

Choosing and gifting a ruby piece

Because ruby is so durable, you have room to be bold. This is one of the few coloured stones I'd happily put in an everyday engagement ring or a solitaire that gets worn hard, so prongs are fine and you don't need to hide the stone away in a protective setting the way you would with a softer gem. If anything the design question is about colour balance. Ruby's red is loud, and it looks its best when the setting lets it sing rather than fighting it. Yellow gold warms the red and gives a rich, traditional feel, while white gold or platinum makes the red look sharper and more contemporary. A ring of small diamonds around a ruby is a proven pairing because the white stones make the red glow harder by contrast.

For a July birthday, a ruby pendant or stud earrings are an easy, safe gift, but honestly a ring is where this stone belongs, given how well it stands up to wear. If the budget won't stretch to a large fine ruby, a smaller high-colour stone beats a bigger dull one every time, since with ruby the colour is what you're really paying for. We cut and set these to order at our Coquitlam studio, and our goldsmith can talk you through colour, treatment and how to make a modest stone look its best. Ruby is also the classic 15th anniversary stone, so if you're marking fifteen years rather than a July birthday, the same commission works for both; our bespoke anniversary pieces page is the place to begin.

Caring for a ruby

Ruby is refreshingly low-maintenance. Warm soapy water and a soft brush will keep it bright, and because untreated and heat-treated rubies are stable, they usually tolerate ultrasonic cleaning well. The one exception is a fracture-filled or heavily treated stone, which should be cleaned gently by hand only, so it's worth knowing what you own before you reach for a machine. Store it away from softer stones so its hard edges don't scratch them, and have the setting checked now and then like any ring you wear daily. Beyond that, a ruby will happily outlast you, which is a good part of the appeal of choosing your own birthstone.

Frequently asked questions