Ruby: July's Birthstone and One of My Favourite Gemstones
Ruby is one of those stones that needs no introduction. The colour alone does the talking — that deep, saturated red that sits somewhere between a dark cherry and a burning coal, depending on the light. It's dramatic without trying to be.
If you were born in July, you got lucky with your birthstone.
What Makes a Ruby a Ruby
Ruby belongs to the corundum family — the same mineral as sapphire. The difference is colour. Red corundum is ruby; everything else is sapphire. It's that simple, and that specific.
The red comes from chromium, which is also responsible for something unusual: rubies fluoresce. In natural daylight, a good ruby doesn't just reflect light — it seems to glow from within. It's one of the reasons they've been prized for centuries and why, even now, a fine natural ruby can outprice a diamond of equivalent size.
At Sorsa, we use natural rubies. The colour variation between stones is part of what makes them interesting — no two are the same, and that's exactly the point.
A Stone With Serious History
Rubies have been considered precious in almost every culture that encountered them. In Sanskrit, the word for ruby — ratnaraj — translates as "king of gemstones." They were embedded into armour, worn by royalty, and traded along the Silk Road long before the diamond industry existed.
The finest rubies historically came from Burma (now Myanmar), where the Mogok Valley produced stones with a particular depth of colour known as "pigeon's blood" — a vivid, slightly bluish red that remains the most sought-after shade. Today rubies are also mined in Mozambique, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, each region producing stones with their own character.
How to Wear Ruby
Ruby is not a shy stone, and there's no point treating it like one. Here's how I think about styling it:
With gold. Always. Yellow gold deepens the red and feels rich without being heavy. White gold or platinum cools the stone down — sometimes that's the intention, but it's not my preference.
As a single statement. A ruby pendant or a pair of ruby studs is enough. You don't need to layer it with other coloured stones — ruby holds its own.
Against neutrals. Cream, camel, white, deep navy. Ruby against colour becomes a clash; ruby against a neutral becomes the whole point of the outfit.
Mixed into a stack. If you're layering, ruby works beautifully alongside diamonds and plain gold. The contrast between the red and the sparkle of a diamond is a classic combination for a reason.
Why July Is a Good Reason to Treat Yourself
Birthstone jewellery has a reputation for being a gift category — something you buy for someone else. But ruby is genuinely worth buying for yourself, especially if it's your birth month.
There's something satisfying about wearing a stone that feels like it was chosen with intention rather than picked up on a whim. Ruby is not an easy colour. It asks something of the wearer — a bit of confidence, a willingness to be noticed. If that sounds like you, it's your stone.
Ruby at Sorsa
We work with natural rubies set in recycled 14k gold. The stones are selected for depth of colour and character — we're not looking for uniformity. If you're shopping for a July birthday (or for yourself), our ruby pieces are a considered alternative to the mass-produced birthstone market.