Ruby Rings
1950s Italian Retro Vintage Ruby Rings
Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Pearl, Emerald, Diamond, Silver, Rose Gold, 9k Gold
1950s Unknown Vintage Ruby Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
1950s Retro Vintage Ruby Rings
Yellow Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, 9k Gold, Silver,...
1950s Unknown Retro Vintage Ruby Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold
Find Antique and Vintage Ruby Rings for Your Jewelry Box on 1stDibs
Shopping for an accessory featuring a deep red gem that is the color of heat and passion? Find unique estate and vintage ruby rings today on 1stDibs.
Choosing a ruby ring can be a little like choosing a red lipstick. When it comes to these stones, the truest, most vivid reds are fiery, skewing slightly orange. Other shades are deeper, with blue undertones, for a pinker, raspberry color.
Ruby jewelry features one of the few gemstones that can give diamonds a run for their money. Just consider the Van Cleef & Arpels “scarf” necklace the Duke of Windsor presented to the Duchess on her 40th birthday, in 1936 — set with diamonds and dripping with rubies, a testament to the deep-red gemstone’s power — or the slippers encrusted with 4,600 rubies that Harry Winston made to commemorate The Wizard of Oz’s golden anniversary.
Rubies are considered precious stones — along with diamonds, sapphires and emeralds — and have a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs Scale, surpassed only by Moissanite and diamonds. (Given the stone's durability and its relationship with romance, a ruby engagement ring is a brilliant choice if your budget permits and your sense of style leans toward the unexpected.)
In the July birthstone, the red of the gemstone — and the various hues seen in sapphires — are produced by the presence of trace elements. In the case of a ruby, this element is chromium. Rubies range in color from vermilion to a violet red. They are also pleochroic, which means that a stone’s hue can vary depending on the direction of viewing. The most sought-after color is pigeon’s blood: pure red with a hint of blue.
When shopping for a vintage ruby ring — whether it's a ruby cocktail ring, a ruby solitaire or another accessory — remember that the 4Cs of selecting the perfect diamond — color, clarity, cut and carat — also apply to rubies.
According to the Gemological Institute of America, the color of the July birthstone should be a vibrant to slightly purplish red, and the stone should be clear and inclusion-free. Accordingly, the cut should show off its color and clarity. As for the last criterion, fine rubies more than a carat in weight are rare. Often, large rubies are more expensive than diamonds of comparable weights.
Find extraordinary antique and vintage ruby rings on 1stDibs.
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