Famous Rubies

Ruby is one of the most expensive gems, large rubies being rarer than comparable diamonds. The largest cuttable ruby weighted 400ct; it was found in Burma and divided into three parts. Famous stones of exceptional beauty are the Ewardes ruby (167ct) in the British Museum of Natural History in London, the Rosser Reeves star ruby (138ct) in the Smithsonian Institution in Washinton, D.C., the De Long star (100ct) in the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the Peace ruby (43ct), thus called because it was found in 1919 at the end of World War I.
Many rubies comprise important parts of royal insignia and other famous jewelry. The Bohemian St. Wenzel's crown (Prague), for instance, holds a non faceted ruby of about 250ct. But some gems , thought to be rubies, have been revealed as spiniels, such as the ''Black Princes's ruby'' in the English State Crown and the ''Timur Ruby'' in a necklace among the English crown jewels. The drop- shaped spinels in the crown of the Wittelsbachs dating from 1830 were also originally thought to be rubies.

                                                                    Black Princes's ruby
Today rubies were cut in the countries where they were found. Because the cutters usually aim for maximum weight, the proportions are not always satisfactory, so that many stones have to be recut by dealers in other countries. Transparent qualities are cut in step and brilliant cut; less transparent stones, en cabochon or they are formed to carving. Only synthetic rubies are used for watches and bearings, formerly the most important technical application for natural stones.
Possibility for confusion with almadite, pyrope, spinel, topaz, tourmaline, and zircon. Since the beginning of the 20th century, there have been synthetic rubies with gemstone quality; these resemble natural ones especially in their chemical, physical, and optical properties. But most of them can be recognized by their inclusions as well as by the fact that they. in contrast to natural rubies, transmit shortwave ultraviolet light.
Numerous imitations currently are on the market, especially glass imitations and doublets. These have a garnet crown and glass underneath. There are many false names in the trade such as Balas ruby (=spinel), Cape ruby (=pyrope), and Siberian ruby (= tourmaline).