33 cts 20x15x9 mm Loose natural Ruby cabochon for wire wrap X788

Corundum (aluminum oxide)

Types/Color:

Padparadshah – Strong yellow, orange-pink to hot pink.

Ruby – Red to dark pink. Usually has a hint of violet.

Sapphire – Natural corundum is commonly thought of as dark blue, but it occurs in many other colors such as yellow, green, pink, colorless and purple.

Mohs hardness: 9

Refractive index: 1.766-1.774

Critical angle: 34.5°

Specific gravity: 3.99-4.0

Cleavage: None

Fracture: Uneven, conchoidal, splintery.

Dispersion: .Moderately high (018)

Heat sensitivity: None

Pleochroism: Dichroic.  Darker colors usually show stronger dichroism.  Natural blue: distinct (dark blue to greenish-blue); Natural green: weak (more or less yellow); Natural orange: strong (orange to yellow-brown or colorless); Natural purple: distinct (purple to pinkish); Natural ruby: strong (deep red to yellowish-red); Natural yellow: weak (yellow to light-yellow).

Birefringence (double refraction): Weak (.018)

Crystal structure: Hexagonal (trigonal), dipyramidal

Treatments: Heat treating to reduce silk is standard.  Glass-filling voids in rubies is not considered an acceptable treatment.

Cutting: Corundum cuts and polishes at varying rates on different facets.  Dont cut with a bonded lap at any finer grit than 600, otherwise an orange peel effect will make polishing a nightmare.  Pre-polish with 8,000 grit on ceramic, zinc or copper lap helps speed up final polishing immensely.

Polishing: Ceramic with 100,000 or 200,000 diamond spray, or zinc lap with 50,000 or 100,000 diamond.  BATT can be used as a polish lap, but is a little soft for corundum.

Comments: Orient for best color and yield.  Corundum cuts and polishes differently on different facets.

Mystical Properties:
The ruby is quite certainly a wonderful gemstone for bringing fire into your life. For if you like to live your life intensely, but often find it difficult to keep focus, a ruby can help bring clarity and wisdom to your world.  Instead of flitting from idea to idea, this gemstone will very well help you choose your most productive paths.  With it's power, this gem will then fire your passions and keep you motivated.  You'll be stronger when resisting self-destructive pattern that have crippled you in the past! 
The ruby provides and incredibly power shield against harmful intentions. If you are caught up in a sticky legal dispute or personal conflict of some kind, this gemstone can aid you in manifesting the correct outcome.  This gemstone can also guard you against psychic or physical attack. 

One ancient tradition suggests that a 'ruby blessing' will protect your garden from violet spring storms, as well as blessing the four corners of your garden with the ruby should prevent damage from wind, rain, hail and blowing debris.

Sleeping with a ruby will help promote lucid dreaming, allowing your conscious mind to interact with your subconscious mind. Together, you can confront your demons and uncover the means to defeat them.

On the other hand, dreaming of rubies, may be a sign of an opportunity  or money coming your way!

Healing Properties:
The oldest healing uses for rubies have been found to be the cleansing the blood of toxins and protection from the plague.   It has also been told that rubies may prevent starvation. 
The ruby may be most beneficial in stimulating the adrenal gland, as well as improving circulation and fighting internal infections.

Magical Properties:
Energy: Projective 
Element: Fire
Deities: Buddha, Krishna (not to be confused with the modern expression of the Krishna-centered reverence) 
Powers: Wealth, protection, power, joy, anti-nightmare   
Working with this stone can remove all sense of limitation. Strengthens courage, selfless work, all spiritual endeavors, joy and many leadership qualities. Ruby helps to reduce resentment when you are required to care for others.

The ruby can create a strong sense and means of power within a person; this power should be handled responsibly or it may turn into anger and possessive thoughts. 

Ruled by Mars, the gemstone ruby is worn during magical rituals to increase the inherent energies that are available to the magician, or it is placed on the altar beside a red candle to lend energy when feeling depleted or drained. 

In a similar line of magical influence, wearing a ruby is said to increase the warmth of the body.