How to recognize a real ruby
- Krishna Kumawat
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
The Ruby Stone—with its deep red color and intense fire—is among the most precious and prized gems of the world. Whether you’re purchasing it for astrology, jewelry or investment, recognizing a real ruby stone is imperative. With so many synthetic and treated stones on the market, it can be difficult to tell a true ruby stone from a fake, particularly for inexperienced buyers.
We’ll guide you through the key steps and professional advice to enable you to recognize a genuine ruby stone with certainty.
1. Study the Color
A natural ruby is known for its pigeon blood red color—a deep, rich, red with a hint of blue. Steer clear of stones that are too dark, too dull, or have a pink cast as they could be synthetic or treated gems.
Key Tip: The finest rubies have a pure, vibrant red color devoid of brown or orange hues.
2. Review the Cover and Contents
Like most natural rubies, it contains inclusions – internal imperfections created by nature. These are solid signs that the ruby is genuine. Completely flawless rubies are very rare and often synthetic.
Take a jeweler’s loupe (10x magnification) and search for inclusions like tiny needles of “silk”, crystals, or feathers. Overly-perfect clarity could be a warning sign.
Natural rubies have inclusions, but they shouldn’t impact the stone’s transparency or brilliance very much.
3. Conduct the Scratch Test (Mohs Scale)
Rubies are a form of corundum and register 9 on the Mohs scale, so they’re exceedingly rugged. A genuine ruby stone can scratch just about anything else, including glass.
Take care not to run scratch tests on precious stones at home, you might inadvertently damage the stone or the surface you’re testing it on. Instead, see a gemologist.
4. Watch the Fluorescence
Most natural rubies, and particularly Burmese rubies, are intensely red fluorescent to UV light. This glow can aid in differentiating them from lab-created stones, which might not fluoresce as intensely or not at all.
Key Tip: If it shines a vibrant red under UV light, it might be a real quality ruby!
5. Look for Heat or Glass Filling Treatments
Many of the inferior rubies are treated to improve their visual qualities. One frequently used technique is glass filling, which involves filling fractures with lead glass to enhance clarity. These rubies may appear attractive but are far less valuable and less durable than untreated stones.
Request treatment disclosure from the retailer and always seek certification.
6. Ask for a Gemstone Certificate
The surest way to verify that you’re purchasing a real ruby is to ask for a certificate from a respected gemological lab. Certification from trusted institutes such as GIA, IGI or GRS certifies the ruby’s authenticity, origin and treatment history.
Key Tip: Don’t ever purchase an expensive ruby without certification.
7. Know your source
The provenance of a ruby impacts both its price and its look. Pigeon Blood Rubies from Myanmar (Burma) are the most valuable because of their deep color and legendary status. Rubies from Mozambique, Sri Lanka and Thailand have good quality but differ in color and clarity.
Conclusion
Detecting a certified ruby stone utilizes a mix of sight, gemological instruments and reliable authentication. And although synthetic and treated stones can be pretty, they’re not nearly as valuable either monetarily or spiritually as natural rubies.
Whether you’re purchasing a ruby for its astrological properties, investment value or enduring beauty, always buy from a trusted source and demand certification. A genuine ruby gemstone represents strength, love and abundance and when selected with care, is an heirloom in the making.
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