1. Is it a ruby or a sapphire? I guess that depends on whether you are the buyer or the seller. Technically, rubies are in fact sapphires. They are made up of the exact same chemical composition and crystal structure. Ruby simply refers to ONLY the red gems while all other color varieties are referred to as sapphire. However, there is no fine line between a ruby and a pink sapphire.
2. The ruby laser was the first laser to be made functional and is the reason we commonly associate lasers with the color red. Ruby’s hardness is second only to diamond among natural gems. Rubies score a nine on the Mohs hardness scale, which grades the strength of gem minerals. Diamonds are a 10. These durable gemstones have numerous technological uses in areas such as watchmaking, medical instruments, and lasers for microscopic surgery.
3. What is the most you would pay for a single pair of shoes? To commemorate the 50th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz”, a replica pair of Dorthy’s famous ruby slippers was made using 1,350 carats of rubies and 50 carats of diamonds giving them a value of $3,000,000 and making them the highest price shoes to date. The original sequin version falls at the number 9 spot valued at $612,000.
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