Rubies, the birthstone of July, are considered the king of gems and represent love, health and wisdom. The Sanskrit word of ruby is “Ratanraj” and the loose translation for that is “King of the Gems” which is why the ruby is knows as “King of Gemstones”. Rubies were discovered around 2,000 years ago though we don’t know where exactly, is assumed to be India.
 
It was believed wearing a fine red Ruby bestowed good fortune on its owner. A Ruby is the most valuable gemstone and its value increases based on its color and quality.
 
Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum, colored by the element chromium. All other colors of gem-quality corundum are called sapphire, which means color is key for this royal stone
 
Hardness Of The July Birthstone
Rubies also happen to be harder than any other natural gemstone (except diamonds, of course) and so it’s a durable stone that is suitable for everyday wear.

Ancient Hindus believed that rubies were a sign of protection from evil (think back to the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy’s ruby slippers), while others say that rubies attract good luck.