An oval-cut ruby from Madagascar in a vivid magenta-pink, bright and openly translucent, with light passing right through the body. The interior is easy to look into: a dark red-brown crystal inclusion sits just inside the upper left shoulder, and soft whitish clouds with fine silk drift across the center. The color is strongest around the outer edge and softens toward the middle where the clouding gathers, giving the stone a bright rim and a gentler heart. Madagascar ruby covers a broad color range, and stones this far toward pink sit near the boundary between ruby and pink sapphire, where the distinction comes down to saturation. Heat is a standard, accepted treatment for ruby. Corundum's hardness of 9 makes it practical for everyday wear, and at 0.55ct and 5.1x3.9mm the open interior and bright color suit a setting that lets light through, such as a claw-set pendant. Ruby is the July birthstone. Stone type: Natural Ruby Weight: 0.55ct Size: 5.1x3.9mm Color: Magenta-pink Cut: Oval faceted Clarity: SI Treatment: Heated Origin: Madagascar Hardness: 9 Natural Madagascar ruby, heated oval, July birthstone, sold loose.
