July’s birthstone is Ruby, the stone of passion and heart’s desire. Thanks to its intense red color, the Ruby has been associated with blood, fire, heart and passion throughout the millennia.

They were first found in ancient India and they were valued there for three purposes. Healers thought they could help get rid of diseases of various organs. The army used them to protect them from enemy’s arrows, and mystics used them to stimulate divine creativity.

July Birthstone - Ruby

In ancient Greece and the Renaissance Europe rubies became wedding stones that would keep the passion alive for ever.

These days, Ruby is the July birthstone, the stone for the 40th and 50th anniversary, and the stone of Capricorn.

Rubies come in various shades of red. The ones that have a more intense color tend to be more valuable. Some of them are treated to enhance this color and to give them more durability. They do not need any special care. There are also some stones that present cracks and they are treated with a glass like material. These ones should be dealt with a little more care.

In the last few decades there were opened more ruby mines across the globe, meaning that gem lovers can now get them easier at a lower price, something that can only make them happy.

To see a nice list of fire red ruby jewels, you should visit Gemvara where they also offer you the option to personalize your jewels for a pretty decent price.

There are several more affordable alternatives to July’s birthstone. Garnets have several shades of red. Red tourmaline also offers some light and dark reds.