Once in a Red Moon

I try to keep my blog topics timely, inspired by the come-hither headlines of my news feed, shouting, Click me! or No, click ME!  But it’s not often – once in a blue moon, in fact – where I talk about what happened last week and what happens next week inside of the same topic. The calendar positions us perfectly today to do just that. So let’s talk rubies.

My first introduction to the four “precious gems” was probably when I started going to the movies.  Diamonds Are Forever was as much about the title jewels as it was about James Bond.  Romancing the Stone – the first movie my wife and I ever saw together – was a swashbuckling pursuit of a giant emerald in South America.  The “Heart of the Ocean” pendant from Titanic was the biggest sapphire I’d ever seen (until someone reminded me it was actually a blue diamond).  And rubies, of course, became something magical through Dorothy’s red slippers in The Wizard of Oz.

The “Star of Fura” ruby

Last week, the largest ruby ever mined – 55.22 carats – came to the auction block at Sotheby’s.  For a cool $35 million it could’ve been yours.  Named the Estrela de Fura – Portuguese for the Mozambique mine where it was discovered – the “Star of Fura” was twice as big in its native form a year ago, then cut down and polished to the glistening red rock you see here.

Rubies aren’t made to be broken but world records are, and this one was shattered.  The previous largest ruby, known as  The Sunrise, was “only” half as big (25.59 carats).  To me, The Sunrise looks about as big as a red M&M.  The Estrela de Fura looks like a strawberry.  The most expensive strawberry in the world, that is.

Green?  Make that red!

If rubies are your thing, keep an eye on Mozambique.  Ruby mining is relatively new to this country in the south of Africa, with the first significant discovery of the gems made in 2009.  Less than fifteen years later we have the record-setting Estrela de Fura.  Surely an even bigger ruby can’t be far behind.

Moving on.  This week begins the month of July (and the second half of 2023) which means we have several reasons to see red.  America’s Independence Day includes a lot of red, whether the flag or the fireworks.  Sunbathers will see the color on their skin more often than they’d care to.  Strawberries are ripe and in abundance.  The month’s zodiac sign is cancer (the crab) and crabs are often red.  And July’s birthstone is, of course, the ruby.

Now’s a good time for some ruby trivia, the fun facts you most likely don’t already know.  The first one is my favorite for your next social gathering:

  1. Rubies are actually sapphires by definition (all mined from  the same crystalline form of aluminum oxide known as “corundum”).  In other words, rubies are simply rarer, red-colored sapphires.
    Don’t touch!
  2. Rubies have symbolized power and protection throughout human history, as with decorated warriors in battle (or slippered Dorothy in the Land of Oz).
    “The Hope”
  3. You’ve heard of the (blue) Hope Diamond but how about the (red) Hope Ruby?  The Hope is 32 carats, cradled in a ring and highlighted with just a few diamonds.  Same name, yes, but different gem, color, and setting.
  4. The most desirable (read: costly) rubies have a hint of blue in them, which contributes to the rich deep color known as “pigeon’s blood” red.
  5. A 10-carat ruby is typically more expensive than a comparably sized diamond.  Why?  Supply (and demand).  You just don’t find as many large rubies as you do diamonds.
Red sapphires, aka “rubies”

So there you have it: everything you need to know about rubies just in time for the month we celebrate them.  I’d be remiss (translation: “in trouble”) if I didn’t mention my wife’s birthday, which is next week as well.  Yes, her birthstone is the ruby, and “darn it all” I had the perfect gift idea if I’d only known about last week’s Estrela de Fura auction sooner.  These opportunities come along but once in a red moon.  Sorry honey, I need to be a little more on the ball.  Guess I’ll hang onto our $35M for next year’s birthday present.

Some content sourced from the CNN.com article, “Largest ruby ever to come to auction sells…”, and Wikipedia, “the free encyclopedia”.

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Author: Dave

Five hundred posts would suggest I have something to say… This blog was born from a desire to elevate the English language, highlighting eloquent words from days gone by. The stories I share are snippets of life itself, and each comes with a bonus: a dusted-off word I hope you’ll go on to use more often. Read “Deutschland-ish Improvements” to learn about my backyard European wish list. Try “Slush Fun” for the throwback years of the 7-Eleven convenience store. Or drink in "Iced Coffee" to discover the plight of the rural French cafe. On the lighter side, read "Late Night Racquet Sports" for my adventures with our latest moth invasion. As Walt Whitman said, “That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” Here then, my verse. Welcome to Life In A Word.

17 thoughts on “Once in a Red Moon”

  1. “…rubies are simply rarer, red-colored sapphires.” I’ve been known to say that I like rubies better than sapphires but I guess I shouldn’t say that anymore. I knew some rubies were described as being pigeon’s blood red but didn’t know why. This is a wealth of information about something I like, but knew so little about… until now.

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    1. My research suggested there are “four precious gemstones” (including rubies and sapphires) so even the experts sort of contradict themselves, right?

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  2. Happy early birthday to your wife! I’m sure she would rather you spend the $35m on something else anyways ha! Rubies are pretty. It reminds me of seeing all the Crown Jewels in London, they were stunning.

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    1. My wife keeps me guessing, Lyssy. She compliments the smallish diamond I gave her in her wedding ring years ago as “practical for someone who cares for horses”, but I’m sure she wouldn’t turn down a bigger gem 🙂

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  4. Not sure what would get you into more trouble, missing the ruby auction or actually spending the 35 million on the ruby. That’s likely to get a few awkward questions about where you got the money and why didn’t you tell her you had an extra 35 million available. Maybe a card, flowers and a nice pendant would be best for a birthday gift. I’d just leave the whole, “I missed the auction” part out … just a suggestion …

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  5. That was a treasure trove of info about rubies Dave and I knew none of it before reading this post. I had no idea of the value of rubies compared to other jewels. No wonder Dorothy’s ruby slippers were so magical! Bummer, that you missed the boat on the rubies for your wife’s June birthday – you will have to find another way to have her bejeweled and I know you will come up with a suitable substitute!

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    1. My sister-in-law is all about The Wizard of Oz, and after I posted promptly informed me Dorothy’s slippers were supposed to be silver, but the color didn’t play well against the yellow of the brick road – hence ruby. Now that’s what you call trivia!

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      1. I didn’t know that little factoid Dave and it makes perfect sense. They would not have shown up as she went tripping along the yellow brick road. I had a co-worker who was all about The Wizard of Oz too and she collected ornaments, mostly made by Hallmark, for her Christmas tree. She told me she even went to Hallmark’s headquarters or factory where they had all the ornaments you could buy in case she had missed some. She had so many ornaments that she needed two trees!

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  6. Hi Dave,
    I wonder what you end up getting the wife for her birthday… She is practical like me, but I am sure she would love a ruby or any other gem. Whatever it was, I hope she likes it. A very happy birthday to her!
    Blessings!

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  7. I don’t (didn’t) know much about gems but Romancing the Stone and Wizard of Oz are two of my favorites. I have a magnet of the ruby slippers on my fridge, sent to me by a friend in Kansas, that I carried with me when I lived abroad, thinking I could always go home.

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    1. You might have seen my comment to another reader above, Ruth. News to me, Dorothy’s slippers were meant to be silver but the color didn’t work well against the yellow bricks of the road, so they became ruby instead. Much more distinctive!

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  8. Some interesting facts about rubies. Now you have me wondering when and for how long Ruby was a popular name for girls. Both Ray Charles and Kenny Rogers sang about girls named Ruby, and there have probably been others.

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    1. It may be the one precious gem that works well as a woman’s name (the other three seem a little presumptuous). Forgot about Rogers’ “Ruby”. Great ballad and a huge hit for him.

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