When looking for a unique engagement ring, diamonds may be your first choice but have you considered a red engagement ring instead? Symbolising love and passion, rubies make the perfect choice for something a bit different and, because they are almost as durable as diamonds, they also symbolise your long-lasting love for your partner.
Read on to learn more about the history and meaning of these love stones and get tips on how to choose the perfect ruby engagement ring.
Red Ruby Engagement Ring Origin & History
Rubies have been treasured by both ancient and modern cultures as a precious gemstone. Historical records even indicate that rubies were being sold along the Silk route in China as early as 200 B.C. and are still loved today due to their durability and fiery hue.
They’re well known for their beautiful hue and sparkle and have long since been associated with feelings of passion and love as well as beauty and wisdom. Not only do they have a history of being a royal stone, they’re even mentioned in the bible as having an association with qualities such as wisdom and beauty.
Because of their colour, similar to that of blood, rubies were considered a stone of protection. They used to be worn by soldiers and warriors, both in pendants, rings, or brooches, and inserted under the skin. They also used to be laid in the foundations of buildings to secure good fortune to the structure.
Because the stones are almost as hard as diamonds, they’re the perfect gems to add into jewellery. It’s not known exactly when ruby engagement rings started to become popular, but with a resurgence of coloured gemstones being offered to loved ones, rubies make a stunning choice to slip onto the finger of your beloved.
What does a Ruby Engagement Ring Mean?
Rubies have been used for decades to represent love, devotion, integrity, courage, vitality, and happiness so it’s no wonder that it makes a wonderful gemstone for an engagement ring.
It’s believed that a ruby engagement ring will nurture love and passion within a relationship and keep the marriage strong. Many legends have told how the ruby was not a gemstone but instead a hardened fire that could set hearts aflame. The word ruby means “stone of nobility” and, along with love, is thought to bring peace and courage.
Popular Ruby Engagement Ring Styles
Rubies can be found in all shapes, styles, and cuts with the most popular shapes for ruby engagement rings being round and oval shape. Beautiful circular shapes accentuate the best qualities of the ruby and work well in the most popular setting styles while a longer oval shape can help make fingers look slender.
Best Shapes for a Ruby Engagement Ring
Just like diamond rings, ruby engagement rings are available in a wide variety of shapes. Whether you’re looking for a classic style or want something a bit more unique, you can find a ruby ring to suit your needs or their personal style. From round shape rubies to emerald cut stones, there’s something for everyone.
Round Ruby Engagement Ring
Round rubies are a popular shape for ruby engagement rings and suit many setting types. From the simplistic beauty of a solitaire setting to the royal opulence of a cluster or halo setting, round rubies are the perfect shape to stand out and display your beloved’s unique personality.
Oval Ruby Engagement Ring
Oval rubies are the most popular fancy shape for ruby engagement rings. The elongated shape of these unique stones provides a beautiful antique finish that is favoured by many and helps to make fingers look longer and more slender.
Emerald Ruby Engagement Ring
Don’t be fooled by the name, an emerald-cut stone isn’t green, it’s simply the shape – an elongated squared shape with a step cut that gives any stone a gorgeous depth. Emerald-cut rubies have a vintage-style appearance and look particularly striking within a halo setting.
Best Settings for a Ruby Engagement Ring
The best settings for ruby engagement rings are halo, trilogy and solitaire settings. Ruby halo engagement rings tend to be the most popular setting style and a ruby at the centre of the setting surrounded by a halo of diamonds.
Halo setting
A halo setting, such as an Oval Halo Ruby Engagement Ring or Prong Setting Oval Halo Ring features a large central ruby surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds. This style offers a beautiful vintage finish and is adored by fans of coloured precious gemstones.
Three-stone setting
A three-stone, or trilogy, setting features a large central ruby with two smaller diamonds either side. This setting style is perfect for those who love a bit of luxury but aren’t interested in being overly showy. Styles like our Prong Setting Three Stone Ruby Ring and Troligy Ruby Ring offer stunning sparkle and elegance without being too fussy.
Bezel setting
A bezel ring such as our Bezel Setting Ruby Three Stone Ring features stones that are set into part of the band. Where prong and solitair settings are held above the band by individual prongs, bezel rings are hugged all the way around by a thing band of metal to kep the stones secure.
Types of Ruby Engagement Ring Shades
Just like any other gemstone, rubies come in many different shades with varying levels of intensity. Dark red rubies were once referred to as blood stones while paler rubies were considered the more feminine alternative to their dark, more masculine counterparts. These thoughts have completely changed now, of course, and no stone is actually more masculine than the other but it goes to illustrate the variety of colours in which rubies can be found.
Unlike some other stones, which can be found in many different hues and colours, rubies only come in shades of red.
Rubies make a stunning, unique option for any occasion but are especially perfect for engagement rings and showing your partner how much you love them. Shop our full range of ruby engagement rings to find the perfect way to express your love and passion for your partner. Is red not the right colour for you? Did you know that sapphires are the same chemical composition as rubies? They’ll offer you the same durability and long-lasting message of love in a rich blue hue.
When looking for a unique engagement ring, diamonds may be your first choice but have you considered a red engagement ring instead? Symbolising love and passion, rubies make the perfect choice for something a bit different and, because they are almost as durable as diamonds, they also symbolise your long-lasting love for your partner.
Read on to learn more about the history and meaning of these love stones and get tips on how to choose the perfect ruby engagement ring.
Red Ruby Engagement Ring Origin & History
Rubies have been treasured by both ancient and modern cultures as a precious gemstone. Historical records even indicate that rubies were being sold along the Silk route in China as early as 200 B.C. and are still loved today due to their durability and fiery hue.
They’re well known for their beautiful hue and sparkle and have long since been associated with feelings of passion and love as well as beauty and wisdom. Not only do they have a history of being a royal stone, they’re even mentioned in the bible as having an association with qualities such as wisdom and beauty.
Because of their colour, similar to that of blood, rubies were considered a stone of protection. They used to be worn by soldiers and warriors, both in pendants, rings, or brooches, and inserted under the skin. They also used to be laid in the foundations of buildings to secure good fortune to the structure.
Because the stones are almost as hard as diamonds, they’re the perfect gems to add into jewellery. It’s not known exactly when ruby engagement rings started to become popular, but with a resurgence of coloured gemstones being offered to loved ones, rubies make a stunning choice to slip onto the finger of your beloved.
What does a Ruby Engagement Ring Mean?
Rubies have been used for decades to represent love, devotion, integrity, courage, vitality, and happiness so it’s no wonder that it makes a wonderful gemstone for an engagement ring.
It’s believed that a ruby engagement ring will nurture love and passion within a relationship and keep the marriage strong. Many legends have told how the ruby was not a gemstone but instead a hardened fire that could set hearts aflame. The word ruby means “stone of nobility” and, along with love, is thought to bring peace and courage.
Popular Ruby Engagement Ring Styles
Rubies can be found in all shapes, styles, and cuts with the most popular shapes for ruby engagement rings being round and oval shape. Beautiful circular shapes accentuate the best qualities of the ruby and work well in the most popular setting styles while a longer oval shape can help make fingers look slender.
Best Shapes for a Ruby Engagement Ring
Just like diamond rings, ruby engagement rings are available in a wide variety of shapes. Whether you’re looking for a classic style or want something a bit more unique, you can find a ruby ring to suit your needs or their personal style. From round shape rubies to emerald cut stones, there’s something for everyone.
Round Ruby Engagement Ring
Round rubies are a popular shape for ruby engagement rings and suit many setting types. From the simplistic beauty of a solitaire setting to the royal opulence of a cluster or halo setting, round rubies are the perfect shape to stand out and display your beloved’s unique personality.
Oval Ruby Engagement Ring
Oval rubies are the most popular fancy shape for ruby engagement rings. The elongated shape of these unique stones provides a beautiful antique finish that is favoured by many and helps to make fingers look longer and more slender.
Emerald Ruby Engagement Ring
Don’t be fooled by the name, an emerald-cut stone isn’t green, it’s simply the shape – an elongated squared shape with a step cut that gives any stone a gorgeous depth. Emerald-cut rubies have a vintage-style appearance and look particularly striking within a halo setting.
Best Settings for a Ruby Engagement Ring
The best settings for ruby engagement rings are halo, trilogy and solitaire settings. Ruby halo engagement rings tend to be the most popular setting style and a ruby at the centre of the setting surrounded by a halo of diamonds.
Halo setting
A halo setting, such as an Oval Halo Ruby Engagement Ring or Prong Setting Oval Halo Ring features a large central ruby surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds. This style offers a beautiful vintage finish and is adored by fans of coloured precious gemstones.
Three-stone setting
A three-stone, or trilogy, setting features a large central ruby with two smaller diamonds either side. This setting style is perfect for those who love a bit of luxury but aren’t interested in being overly showy. Styles like our Prong Setting Three Stone Ruby Ring and Troligy Ruby Ring offer stunning sparkle and elegance without being too fussy.
Bezel setting
A bezel ring such as our Bezel Setting Ruby Three Stone Ring features stones that are set into part of the band. Where prong and solitair settings are held above the band by individual prongs, bezel rings are hugged all the way around by a thing band of metal to kep the stones secure.
Types of Ruby Engagement Ring Shades
Just like any other gemstone, rubies come in many different shades with varying levels of intensity. Dark red rubies were once referred to as blood stones while paler rubies were considered the more feminine alternative to their dark, more masculine counterparts. These thoughts have completely changed now, of course, and no stone is actually more masculine than the other but it goes to illustrate the variety of colours in which rubies can be found.
Unlike some other stones, which can be found in many different hues and colours, rubies only come in shades of red.
Rubies make a stunning, unique option for any occasion but are especially perfect for engagement rings and showing your partner how much you love them. Shop our full range of ruby engagement rings to find the perfect way to express your love and passion for your partner. Is red not the right colour for you? Did you know that sapphires are the same chemical composition as rubies? They’ll offer you the same durability and long-lasting message of love in a rich blue hue.