| Well, since nobody else has stepped forth, I guess I "... somebody's
got to do it."
The ruby has been viewed various ways by different cultures. It
has often been dubbed a "bad luck" stone, but it also has been used
to detect poison (someone wearing it ostensibly could detect poison
in food or drink by looking at the ruby he or she was wearing: if
the fare was bad, the stone supposedly lost its fire.
The ruby, because of its scarlet nature, has been associated with
blood, which makes it both associated with warfare (it's a Mars
stone) and with healing (as with chromotherapy). in the Orient,
it sometimes was considered something of a "life stone."
Later traditions indicate that it can be used to gain health or
tranquility, though other stones have a firmer claim to that ability.
Hope this helps.
Steve Kallis, Jr.
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| This is what I've read about Rubies
Ruby and Saphire are both varieties of the same mineral, corundum.
Thier properties are identical, differing only in color. they are
both made of aluminium oxide, but ruby contains traces of chromium.
For centuries there was no effort to distinguish genuine rubies
from other red stones, and many red stones were called rubies even
though mineralogically they bore no resembelance. Two of the worlds
most famous `rubies', the Black Prince's Ruby and the Timur, both
in the British Crown Jewels are not rubies at all, but are red
varieties of spinel.
Good quality ruby is now the most valuable gemstone,
being more valuable even than diamonds, emeralds, or saphires of
equivalent size. Larde rubies are rare, because chromium, the coloring
agent of ruby, has a strongly inhibiting effect on crystal growth.
source: "Cosmic Crystals" by Ra Bonewitz
As well as aiding intuitive thinking, the ruby is
believed to increase levels of energy. It is often used to alleviate
disorders of the blood, such as anaemia, poor circulation and menstrual
problems.
Ruby, when used in an elixer, acts on the first chakra
which in turn connects to the heart,activates the kundalini, creates
balance in spiritual endeavours and amplifies thought power.
source: "The Crystal Workbook" by Ursula
Markham
When placed over the second chakra a rubys purpose is
to raise creative energy devoted to the highest aspects of self;
utilization of creative forces into all aspects of being; high soul
procreation. Direct self towards devotion. It is also said to contain
creative energy devoted to god.
source: "Crystal Enlighenment" by Katrina Raphael
Mark
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| ...good quality ruby is perhaps the most INexpensive of gemstones,
because of the Kolzarasky (sp.?) process for synthetic crystal growing.
It's possible (although expensive) to obtain essentially flawless
rods of solid ruby 3 inches in diameter by three FEET long. Expensive
in this case means one to ten thousand dollars for the rod.
Such huge bars of ruby are useful for high-energy laser work.
Polishing not included in the above price... ruby is as hard as
sapphire, and both are exceeded in hardness only by diamond and
borazon (cubic boron nitride), hence it is costly and difficult
to finish the ruby rods to the proper polish.
In relatively small chunks, ruby costs approximately one hundred
dollars per cubic inch (unpolished).
-Bill
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