Color : Bright red, brownish-red, purplish-red, dark red.
Hardness : 9

Fine rubies are found in Thailand, India, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, North Carolina in the U.S., Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania, Cambodia, and perhaps most notably, Burma. Ruby is the second hardest natural mineral known to mankind, the red variety of corundum. Beside for its color, it is a most desirable gem due to its hardness, durability, luster, and rarity. The best shade of red for ruby is often given the name "pigeon blood red", but ruby can be any shade of red up to almost pink. To possess gem value Ruby must be transparent and “pigeon blood red” (deep blood red with a slightly bluish hue). Transparent, flawless rubies exceed all other gems in value, except for deeply colored "fancy diamonds".