Ruby Rings & Jewelry: A Buyer's Guide to Treatments, Care and Styles

A ruby ring is one of the boldest ways to wear color: deep red, rich in meaning and tough enough for everyday wear. Before you buy, it helps to understand how rubies are treated, what "filled" means on a listing, and how to care for the stone so it stays beautiful. This guide covers all of it, plus the settings and pairings that make a ruby stand out.

Why choose a ruby?

• Color with meaning: red has long stood for love and passion. Ruby is the July birthstone and the traditional gift for a 40th anniversary.
• Toughness: ruby is a variety of the mineral corundum and rates 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, second only to diamond among popular gems. That makes it a good choice for rings worn every day.
• Presence: a large ruby surrounded by white diamonds looks dramatic and luxurious, and it photographs beautifully.

Ruby treatments: what "filled" means

Most rubies on the market are treated in some way to improve their color or clarity, and honest jewelers disclose it. The two treatments you'll see most often are:

• Heating: a long-established treatment that improves color and clarity. It's stable and permanent.
• Glass filling: tiny fractures in the ruby are filled with glass, which makes the stone look cleaner and brighter. Filling is what lets a large, vivid, clean-looking ruby be sold at an affordable price.

On our listings, "filled" or "natural, filled treatment" means the ruby is a natural ruby whose fractures have been filled with glass. Our listings note the treatment in the title or specifications. If a listing doesn't say, ask us before you buy and we'll confirm exactly how the ruby has been treated.

Caring for a filled ruby

The glass in a filled ruby is softer than the ruby itself, so it needs a little more care than an untreated stone:

• Clean gently: warm water, mild dish soap and a soft brush, then dry with a soft cloth.
• Skip ultrasonic and steam cleaners. Vibration and heat can damage the filling.
• Keep it away from acids and harsh chemicals, including household cleaners, chlorine and even lemon juice. They can etch the glass and dull the stone.
• Tell any jeweler it's a filled ruby before resizing or repair. A jeweler's torch can damage the filling, so the stone may need to be removed or protected first.
• Take it off for cleaning, swimming, gardening and the gym.

Treated this way, a filled ruby keeps its color and shine for years.

Ruby ring styles

• Halo: a ruby framed by a ring of white diamonds, the classic look that makes the red even richer. See this oval ruby and natural diamond halo ring.
• Antique and Art Deco: filigree, milgrain and geometric halos with a vintage feel, such as this round ruby Art Deco filigree halo ring.
• Three stone: a ruby flanked by two diamonds, like this oval ruby with pear lab-grown diamonds.
• Ballerina: a dramatic cocktail style with a skirt of baguette and marquise diamonds around the center. See the cushion ruby ballerina ring.
• Bands: rubies set all the way or halfway around, to wear alone or stack with an engagement ring. See the natural ruby half eternity band and the ruby eternity band.
• Pendants: a single ruby on a chain, like this pear ruby solitaire necklace.

Pairing a ruby with diamonds

Our ruby pieces use three kinds of white accent stones, each listed in the specifications:

• Natural diamonds: mined diamonds, the most traditional choice.
• Lab-grown (CVD) diamonds: real diamonds grown in a lab, for more sparkle per dollar.
• Moissanite: very hard, with more fire than diamond, at the lowest price. Some of our designs reverse the idea, with a moissanite center and small rubies as the accents.

Learn more in moissanite vs. lab-grown diamond.

Choosing the metal

Yellow gold warms the red and gives a rich, vintage look. White gold makes the ruby and diamonds look crisp and bright. Rose gold echoes the ruby's warmth for a softer, romantic feel. Most of our ruby rings are made in solid 14K gold and are available in all three colors at the same price.

Engagement ring or right hand ring?

Both. Rubies are hard enough to wear every day, so a ruby engagement ring is a practical choice as well as a romantic one. Large rubies also make striking right hand rings and anniversary gifts. If you'll wear yours daily, a halo or bezel-style setting protects the edges of the stone best.

What does a ruby ring cost?

In our ruby jewelry collection, ruby bands start at about $500 and pendants at about $600. Most ruby rings cost about $900 to $2,300, and large statement rings with natural diamonds go up to about $6,300. Every piece is solid 14K gold and ships free in the US and Canada.

Shop ruby jewelry

See every style in our ruby rings and jewelry collection, or browse more color in sapphire jewelry and the full color stone collection. Each piece is handcrafted in Los Angeles. Questions about a ruby's treatment or a custom design? Call us at 310-486-8838 or email knrinc@att.net.