Kim G

Pigeon blood. Not exactly the words that conjure up thoughts of overwhelming love and affection, especially when giving a gift to your beloved, but it should. Why? Because true pigeon blood, red-blue, is the ideal color of the most popular gemstone symbolizing love; the ruby.
The birthstone of July, the ruby is most often given during Valentines Day because the simple red color historically denotes love, passion, and joy. Looking through jewelry stores or on-line sites, the selection and setting possibilities are endless. Rubies rank a 9 on the Mohs Scale, second only to diamonds, and are considered a precious gem. In fact, the best quality rubies are actually rarer than diamonds, and can be found set in all kinds of precious metals; from silver to gold and platinum. When choosing rubies as a gift of love, consider giving a pendant in your metal of choice so that the fiery stone that can be worn close to the heart.
Within the rubies themselves are many different tones, shades, variations and qualities. The first thing a shopper will notice is the color. If what you see before you is a pink, cloudy looking stone, walk away. The highest quality natural rubies will be a true red, or a red that will have a slight black, blue, or purple undertone; hence the name ‘pigeon blood’. These different color undertones will help identify where the gem was mined, and all are of good value. If, however, the gem you are looking at is light and almost pink in color, or at the opposite end of the spectrum, if the gem is almost pure black, then that is not the ruby for you. Something to keep in mind before you shop; a natural, small, high-quality ruby will more expensive than a large, poor-quality ruby.
It is perfectly acceptable to ask the jeweler to show you the gem under a microscope, just as you would when purchasing diamonds. Here is the main difference between scoping diamonds and scoping rubies; rubies are expected to have a fair number of natural inclusions. If the gem you are scoping does not, either the gem is completely false and you should walk away, or the gem is a lab-created stone.
Lab-created gems are gemstones formed in perfect conditions in laboratories. They are spot-on for color and quality and are considerably cheaper than natural gems making them ideal for price conscious shoppers, but there is one flaw; they are too perfect. Not having any natural inclusions within the gem is a dead give-away that the gem was created under perfect conditions rather than mined from nature. That isn’t to say that lab-created gems don’t have their place in the jewelry market; quite the opposite is true. Lab-created gems are perfect for those who wish to give a large ruby of good color at a lower price. Just keep in mind that the seasoned jewelry owner will not be fooled by the gem’s appearance.
Why give a natural gem that is flawed when you can give a lab-created gem that is not? Natural beauty in gems is not to be misplaced. Flaws are to be embraced as part of the hallmark of where the gem has been on its way to find you. When deciding upon lab-created or natural gems, keep in mind the wearer. Giving a natural ruby to the person who has been with you through rough times, and knows your flaws as well as you know theirs, is symbolic of how deeply you love. When a love is so pure, the flaws do not distract from it; they enhance it.