Gemology 101: The History of the Ruby

But rubies did not remain in the Middle East and Asia. Early literature mentions that rubies traveled along the Silk Road, from Asia, on to other areas of the Eastern Hemisphere. Marco Polo reported that he saw rubies during his travels. Other explorers to Asia likewise returned to their home countries with stories of these spectacular gems. The current word “ruby” actually stems from the Latin “rubeus” or “red.” Roman scholar Pliny’s Natural History described rubies in 100 A.D., with remarks on rubies’ brilliant coloring and hardness (and now we know that rubies are second only to diamonds in terms of
gemstone hardness).

As the centuries wore on, rubies became a much-coveted and highly-praised addition to European courts’ gem collections and jewelry. Today, you’ll find rubies adorning the bodies of many a famous royal family member, if you peruse enough court paintings. Just look at Holbein’s portrait of King Henry VII, for example, in which the king sports a large ruby necklace.

Unfortunately, not every ruby that was discovered in antiquity was actually a ruby. Now, we know that at least a handful of historical rubies were actually garnets or red spinels. While this is unfortunate for modern historians, it would have been near-impossible for many throughout history to have distinguished between the various red gemstones.

Rubies have held their value quite well everywhere they went throughout history, and in the most recent decades, we still see rubies highly prized among royal families. The British Royal Family, for example, holds quite a few rubies among its collection. Princess Margaret wore a ruby engagement ring in the 1960s. Queen Elizabeth boasts ruby tiaras, necklaces, earrings and brooches, some of which were passed down from prior British queens. On the other side of the pond, Jaqueline Kennedy most famously purchased a ruby Borghese bracelet in 1983, for $170,000; the bracelet is a one-of-a-kind, limited-edition piece created in the 1800s.