Ruby here is mostly raw crystal and ruby in matrix, such as ruby in zoisite and ruby in fuchsite, alongside tumblestones and ruby jewellery. Colour runs from pink-red to deep crimson.

Ruby is corundum coloured by chromium, and sapphire is the same mineral in every other colour, which is why the two always appear together in the books. At 9 on the Mohs scale it is second only to diamond for hardness, so it wears extremely well. Almost all commercial cut ruby is heat-treated to improve colour and clarity, while the opaque raw crystals we stock are untreated. Ruby in zoisite pairs the red with green zoisite and black hornblende. Hand-picked in St Andrews and posted UK-wide.