How to Care for Ruby Jewelry

A ruby is the birthstone for July and symbolizes immortal love. The 40th anniversary is also known as 'Ruby Anniversary', since it signifies undying love. The beauty of this stone can dazzle and maintaining it is not really a hassle. Ruby is the second hardest stone after diamond, and as such almost nothing can tarnish or affect the ruby chemically.

So cleaning and maintaining the resplendence of this stone is not a very difficult job. The richness of the blood red color of the ruby depends on the iron content in the stone.

More the iron, the redder the ruby will be. These natural stones are extremely expensive, and so, you now have lab created rubies, which have the same chemical composition as the real ones, minus the flaws. They are less expensive than the natural ones.

The ruby being a symbol of love, is the perfect gift for the 15th and the 40th wedding anniversary. It is believed that the ruby can help bring love back in a downhill marriage, and deepens the love that is already there.

This "pigeon blood red" stone is also associated with passion, and energy. Its vibrancy is believed to heighten passions, enthusiasm, and sexual activity.  It is a pleochroic stone, which means that it exhibits two colors when viewed from different angles.

The good things associated with this stunning stone are endless! It is believed that the ruby personifies beauty and grace, and hence, is the perfect gift for any woman.  This stone is also supposed to elevate motivation levels in a person and boost positive dreams and thoughts, as well as positivity in attitude and help better visualization.

The ruby is known as the king of gems and is associated with powerful feelings. This multifaceted stone also gives the wearer courage, and shields him from bad things. After going on and on for so long about the virtues and benefits of this beautiful stone, it would be really heart breaking to see that it is not being taken care of, right?

Go through the following tips to ensure that your ruby jewelry continues to keep glowing over the years.

While wearing rubies, remember that exposure to chemicals, although does not chemically affect the rubies, may tarnish it over time. Also, avoid wearing them when you are going to be doing rough work like gardening, washing, etc.

I know that you will not wear your favorite ruby set when doing all this work, but what I meant was, in case your engagement ring has rubies in it, and if you wear it all the time, it is better to remove it while doing chores like the ones mentioned above.

Or if you're wearing it for any other reason like health or emotional well-being, then too. Many people wear ruby rings with another diamond ring. If this is the case, then make sure that your diamond is not brushing against your ruby continuously, since that will put scratches on your ruby.

Rubies are not affected by commercial solvents, so they can be used for cleaning the rubies effectively. A toothbrush dipped in warm water is also more than enough to clean ruby jewelry, which is set in an intricate design. The bristles of the brush will remove the dirt lodged in the tiny crevices of the setting.

You can also use a toothpick to clean off any remaining dirt. Avoid using a toothpaste, since the granularity of the toothpaste may cause scratches on the ruby. Warm soapy water can also be used. When you take it off, never keep it directly in the box.

Wipe it clean with a warm, wet, soft cloth, to remove any sweat, oil and dirt that has been transferred to it. A mild detergent should be used. Avoid contact with harsh chemicals, since they can cause damage to the settings and mountings of your ruby.

Storing rubies correctly will go a long way in making them last longer and better. If you store them in the wrong manner, then cuts, scratches and loosening of the stones are common problems you will have to deal with. To avoid these things, store your rubies properly in cloth bags before you put them in your jewelry box.

Make sure that you are not piling your jewelry on top of each other. If you do not want to use cloth bags, or don't have them, then spread a layer of cotton underneath the jewels.

Place the rubies on this cotton layer, and spread another layer on top of it. Make sure that no two rubies are kept side by side without at least a layer of cotton between them, since they may grind against each other leading to scratches.

• Clean the rubies in a bowl. In case there is a loose stone, there is no danger of it rolling or draining away in the sink.
• A professional cleaning and inspection once a year should be done to ensure that your ruby is in perfect order.

If it has been oiled for giving it that extra shine, then it is important to avoid steam cleaning procedures or chemicals.

• Make sure that your rubies do not come in contact with perfumes, or other sprays, cleaners or harsh chemicals.

• Boil half a teaspoon of tea leaves in water and allow the mixture to cool down. Soak your rubies in this solution overnight, and wipe clean in the morning with a soft cloth to make your rubies resplendent once again.

Rubies, if flawless, are more precious than diamonds. They are very expensive, and if you think that you will not be able to afford a natural ruby, you can try the lab created ruby mentioned above. Rubies are extremely beautiful, and if taken care of properly, can be passed down through generations to become family heirlooms.