How to recognize a ruby?

Recognizing a ruby requires a certain expertise, especially as it is one of the most imitated gemstones, due to its beauty and value. Distinguishing a real ruby from a cheap imitation is usually straightforward, but things get more complicated with some synthetic rubies. Discover also beautiful natural stones that resemble rubies.

How to recognize a ruby

The most reliable way to recognize a ruby is to have it tested by a gemmologist. Do-it-yourself tests can be dangerous for the stone, if it is genuine, such as trying to scratch it...

To the naked eye, it's possible to mistake a real ruby for a fake, especially a good-quality synthetic ruby. The real stone and the laboratory creation will not only have similar color and clarity, but also almost the same brilliance. Synthetic rubies, however, are much less expensive.

As for imitations, they don't have the same physical properties and are notably less hard than real rubies. Rubies are the hardest stones (9 on the Mohs scale) after diamonds.

Did you know? Ruby is the birthstone of July.

To recognize a genuine ruby, note that the finest have virtually no inclusions, but it is common for these gems to have natural imperfections. Rubies are often heated to improve their appearance and homogeneity.

Real rubies come in a variety of colors. One of the most coveted is pigeon's blood red, typical of Burmese rubies. Other shades range from bright red to pinkish red. There's something for every taste, but on the gem market, the more saturated or intense rubies command higher prices.

Discover all our rubies.

Please note that heating is the only treatment applied to rubies sold on our site.

How to recognize a synthetic ruby?

If you have a real ruby in one hand and a laboratory stone in the other, it's doubtful you'll be able to recognize a synthetic ruby. There are several methods for creating them and some are indistinguishable from natural stones, unless you use gemmological equipment. Nevertheless, with a jeweler's loupe, it's sometimes possible to spot inclusions quite specific to synthetic rubies. And if you know the prices, you can tell the difference.

By way of comparison, a genuine 1-carat ruby can be sold for €1,500, while its synthetic 1-carat equivalent can cost €15. High-quality synthetic rubies are more expensive, but they don't come close to the price of real natural rubies.

Have a ruby ring created with Bonnot Paris.

Which stones resemble rubies?

While it's sometimes possible to confuse a real ruby with a synthetic one, it's unlikely that an imitation or "fake ruby" - made of glass or plastic, for example - will be able to fool anyone who has ever witnessed the exceptional brilliance of genuine rubies!

On the other hand, recognizing a beautiful ruby from another natural stone that looks like it is not always easy. Sometimes it's impossible to tell with the naked eye. Specimen stones can strongly resemble rubies.

Such is the case :

- rhodolite garnet,

- red spinel,

- of certain pink tourmalines.

This is not always the case, as many factors come into play, but these gems are often more affordable.

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