Star Ruby

Star rubies are amongst the rarest and most coveted gems in the world. Even more so in comparison to star sapphires, since the chromium that colors them pink and red limits the sizes they can grow to. Each star ruby is so unique in appearance, that matching pairs (much less a set) is nearly impossible.

Special features that appear in gems like a star are known as phenomena. These effects include asterism, chatoyancy, iridescence, adularescence, aventurescence, labradorescence, and play-of-color. Rubies mainly show asterism, and rarely chatoyancy and it is possible for them to show other phenomena, but this happens only rarely.

The most well-known source of star rubies is Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) due to how the silk forms in a very organized, and tightly knit fashion. Not all rubies display silk like this, or at all, though it is very common.

No two stars are the same, with the stars being as unique as the growth characteristics of the ruby. Sometimes stars are fainter, stronger, or off-centered. The individual arms can be uneven, of different lengths, missing, etc. The way the star moves along the surface of each ruby is unique too. Some move around very smoothly, some do not move much, jump around, disappear entirely from certain angles, and more. Each star really has its own personality in appearance and movement, and makes matching pairs extremely difficult.

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