Ruby: Associations, Spiritual & Magical Uses

A ruby is a red gem formed of crystalline aluminum oxide called corundum with the presence of chromium which causes the red coloring.

Rubies are the third hardest mineral, after diamonds and moissanite. The name “ruby” comes from the Latin word ruber, meaning red.

Rubies are very closely related to sapphires. Those rubies that do not meet the US minimum color saturation requirements for rubies may be referred to as pink sapphires.

The ruby was once the most valued of all precious stones. One of the Sanskrit names for ruby is ratnaraj, meaning “King of Precious stones”. Rubies have also been called the “Tears of Buddha”.

Historically, the finest rubies come from Burma but they are found throughout Asia and the Middle East.

Traditions

With its inherent connection to love, romance, and passion, it’s no surprise that ruby is the traditional gemstone with which a fortieth wedding anniversary is celebrated.

Throughout history, this stone has also been held to shield the wearer from negative energy, increase fertility, and cleanse the blood.

Associations

• The ruby is the birthstone for July.
• Element: fire
• Planet: The Sun, Mars
• Zodiac Sign: Capricorn, also Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio
• Chakra: root

Ruby is a lucky gift for a 15th or 40th anniversary.

Spiritual and Magical Uses

A ruby set in a ring, brooch or bracelet and worn on the left side of the body is said to ensure the owner has peaceful relations with others, to prevent his property from being wrongly taken from him and to protect his property from damage due to bad weather.

As a general talisman, it is said to increase health, wealth, energy, courage, leadership and influence over others, to protect from poison and snake bite, improve sleep, drive away nightmares, and to ward off evil spirits and depression. Worn close to the heart, rubies are said to attract love.

However, according to one custom, women who wear rubies too often are in danger of seeing their own physical beauty fade.

To confer true invulnerability (it is said) one must insert a ruby into one’s body somewhere. It is not recommended that you test this theory.

Body

Ruby is believed to help detoxify the body and blood and can be useful in the treatment of fever and infection.

The stone is also effective in boosting generally depleted energy levels and restoring the vitality of the body and mind.

Mind

This stone is excellent at bringing out inner courage and resolve, allowing us to clearly speak our truth, and stand up for what’s important to us.

Ruby is also great at promoting concentration and heightening awareness. It overcomes feelings of exhaustion and lethargy – however stressful our day has been, this stone can get us quickly feeling like our old selves again.

Magick

Ruby is a wonderful crystal to use in manifestation rituals; it attracts abundance and is a powerful tool for keeping hold of passion and wealth.

It helps us to maintain all the riches in our lives, and it’s said that wearing rubies on the left side of the body will draw a variety of blessings to the wearer.

Healing

Rubies can be used in healing to improve circulation and to help heal peptic ulcer, rheumatism and gout as well to treat fevers. For those with chronic ulcers, rheumatism and gout, a ruby set in gold and worn on the ring finger will help with treatment.

Care and Cleansing

There are several ways to cleanse and recharge your ruby. You can run the stone under gently running, warm water, or leave it directly beneath the light of a full moon. Burying the stone in healthy soil will work, too. Clear quartz crystals or selenite will cleanse and recharge ruby – simply pop your ruby on top of, or ensure it’s touching, one of these crystals, and it’ll get to work!

Simple Ways to Use Ruby in Your Daily Practice

Ruby encourages a passion for life, helping us to make every moment count. The joyous warmth of this stone can bring many benefits, so try making it part of your daily routine with the ideas below.

Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve (Or Finger!)

It doesn’t take much convincing to wear ruby – the gorgeous stone looks stunning when set into a wide variety of jewelry types and styles. It’s closely connected to the Heart chakra, so try wearing it as long pendant or a brooch. Ruby is also particularly effective when worn as a ring or an ankle chain.

Placing Ruby Around the Home

Ruby, with its vibrant affiliation to Fire, is linked to Yang energy. Therefore, it’s likely to be most effective when placed in the southern area of your home or room. It’s a great way to give the energy in your home a boost, and help you when dealing with tricky or emotionally-charged situations. Rubies are powerful stones, so use it sparingly when placing it, to gauge its effect.

Balancing the Heart Chakra

Ruby is linked to both the Heart and Root chakras. If you’re holding onto past hurts that are making it difficult for you to form new bonds, try placing a piece of ruby on your Heart chakra and relaxing for ten to twenty minutes.

This will help clear blockages and negative energy and restore vitality and enthusiasm. 

Use ruby on the Root chakra if you’re feeling a little depleted or de-motivated. It’s great for balancing this chakra and giving you the energy to keep moving along the path to your dreams.

A Candle Magick and Ruby Ritual for Strength

All you need for this ritual is a red candle and a piece or two of ruby. The idea behind candle magick is to provide a focal point for powerful intention-setting – and you may be surprised at just how well these lovely little spells work!

1. Create an intention relating to boosting confidence, overcoming challenges, or having the strength to pursue a certain course of action. Hold this intention clearly at the front of your mind as your perform this ritual.
   
2. If you like, use a pin to carefully carve into the candle a few words that distil down your intention. For example, ‘confidence’ or ‘trust in myself.’ You may also like to anoint your candle with a little oil.
   
3. Place your ruby in front of the candle, and light it. If you wish, say your intention aloud as you light the wick.
   
4.  Meditate on the flame, visualizing the energy of your intention growing in power as you focus.
   
5. Once you’re done, if there is any candle wax or ash left over, scatter these remains in moving water, bury them in the Earth, or keep them in a suitable container (once they’ve completely cooled) to remind you of your intention.
   
6. Finally, thank the Universe, and offer gratitude.

Ruby and the Zodiac

With its Fire energy, ruby resonates with the Fire signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, matching these signs in intensity while providing some soothing, grounding energy when needed.

Ruby is also often connected with Capricon, and can help the steadfast, toe-the-line Goat allow passion into their lives, and listen to their hearts as well as their heads.

Crystal Combos

Bloodstone is one of ruby’s best friends; both crystals are ruled by the planet Mars. This pair will work hard for you, boosting willpower, inner strength, immunity, self-confidence, and even fertility.

Aquamarine and ruby is also a powerhouse pairing. This team will supercharge vitality, aid emotional healing, and bring a profound sense of peace and positivity.

Unakite and ruby are beautifully complementary crystals, working together to promote both inner strength and heightened intuition. Unakite is widely regarded to be a Yin crystal, while ruby is yang. Using or wearing these stones together, therefore, is a good means of bringing harmony and balance into all areas of your life.

Ruby: Passion, Prosperity, and Perfect Love

Embrace a passion for life with ruby, which will support you in both setting realistic goals and taking the action needed to achieve them. Innately connected with love and romance, ruby can instil a deep sense of self-love too, helping us to recognize that we deserve happiness and abundance.

Use ruby to boost your energy levels, restore vitality, and put a spring back in your step – and heart.

Geophysical Properties of Ruby

Property	Description
Composition	Ruby is a red variety of the mineral corundum (aluminum oxide, Al2O3). The red color is typically due to trace amounts of chromium.
Color	Ruby is known for its vibrant red color, ranging from deep crimson to pinkish-red hues.
Transparency	Rubies are typically transparent to translucent.
Mohs Hardness	9 on the Mohs scale, making ruby one of the hardest naturally occurring minerals.
Cleavage	Ruby lacks cleavage, which means it doesn’t break along specific planes, but instead, it exhibits a conchoidal fracture.
Fracture	Ruby has a conchoidal (shell-like) fracture, which results in smooth, curved surfaces when broken.
Luster	Ruby displays a vitreous (glass-like) to subadamantine (near-gem-like) luster.
Streak	The streak of ruby is usually white, indicating that it has no distinct streak color.
Specific Gravity	The specific gravity of ruby typically ranges from 3.97 to 4.05.
Transparency	Rubies are prized for their transparency, and the finest specimens are highly transparent.
Refractive Index	The refractive index of ruby is approximately 1.76-1.78.
Double Refraction	Ruby exhibits weak to no double refraction (birefringence).
Fluorescence	Some rubies may exhibit fluorescence under ultraviolet (UV) light, often a red or orange glow.
Magnetism	Rubies are not magnetic.