Ruby

The ruby is a hard gemstone and its name means “red.” It ranks 9 on the Mohs scale, just below diamond. It belongs to the corundum group of minerals, in which the ruby is the only stone that is not called sapphire. The raw stone is matte, while a cut ruby glitters almost like a diamond. Genuine rubies are unbelievably valuable, but it is also possible to create synthetic rubies. It is said that no ruby is absolutely flawless, which is why counterfeiters have begun to implant small artificial inclusions to make synthetic rubies look like genuine stones. Rubies may be found in Afghanistan, Tanzania, Vietnam, Thailand and Kenya.