An Amazing Fact: Ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone. Chromium causes the color red, and a ruby’s value is determined by the four C’s: color, cut, clarity, and carat weight. The Smithsonian received as a gift one of the world’s finest and largest ruby gemstones—a 23.1-carat Burmese ruby. Known as the “King of Gems,” rubies have sometimes been priced seven times higher than diamonds.


The beautiful gemstone in the Smithsonian was mined in Burma (now Myanmar) in the 1930s and was donated by Peter Buck in memory of his late wife. It displays a richly saturated red color along with exceptional transparency.

Rubies and sapphires come from the same family. The red ones are called rubies, and the others are called sapphires. Like many gemstones, rubies are often heat-treated to improve their color. A well-cut ruby can come close to the brilliance and sparkle of a diamond.

As early as 200 B.C. there is record of rubies being transported along the North Silk Road of China. Rubies have been held as very precious in Asian countries for centuries. They were used as jewelry and as ornaments on armor. Some were even placed underneath the foundations of buildings as good fortune. They are extremely hard, only slightly softer than diamonds, and have a melting point of 3,711 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Bible says this about rubies. “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10). When you study how rubies are measured for value, you see how the description applies to the character of a good wife. Her beauty is more than exterior. It comes from the clarity from within.

Perhaps even the most valuable rubies, which are rich in a red color, might describe the value we can have in Christ when our sins are covered by His blood.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Proverbs 3:15