A red ruby ring roundup.

One of the best parts of my jewelry blogging journey has been that I’ve had the opportunity to learn to appreciate new things. The more I see, the more new things I learn to love. For example: the ruby.

I never used to care much about rubies. They just didn’t excite me. But I’ve changed my tune: rubies are lush and luminous; the best ones glow in your hand like a captive ember. They symbolize passion: intense, all-consuming, unbridled passion. It’s also been thought to carry protective properties or represent prosperity.

Rubies – like their chemical counterpart, sapphires – are a 9/10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, which makes them almost as resilient as diamonds (which are a 10/10). That means they’re a great option for engagement rings or everyday wear; they’re much less likely to crack or wear than something more fragile, like emeralds, opals, or pearls.

It’s also glorious to look at, which is where we’re going next. Let’s dive into a ruby ring roundup!

Let’s start out with something bold and old. This ring from Lang Antiques is Art Deco, circa 1930, and features a magnificent Burma ruby in platinum with diamonds. I love love love the color of that central ruby and the fascinating use differently-shaped diamond cuts in this unique piece.

This ruby ring is also Art Deco, but with a completely different feeling, thanks to its rounded cabochon of a center stone and gentle, almost foliate, shoulders.

Here’s a ruby ring that will make the rest of these antiques look new: this one dates to the 16th century. Featuring a table cut ruby in a quatrefoil setting of high-karat gold and traces of black enamel.

The ruby in this ring is small, but it’s an important part of the visual effect. This crowned heart beauty dates to 1900, and features the most wonderful rose-cut diamonds.

Next we have a very unique ruby ring, also from the Art Deco era (and also very different, which shows you a bit about the amazing breadth of that stylistic period). This one features a 9 carat bouquet of ruby beads, each set with a small bezel set round diamond and flanked on the shoulders of the setting with diamond baguettes.

Here’s a modern ruby ring for you: it’s by Omi Prive, with a 5 carat ruby and pave diamonds in platinum and rose gold.

Classic, simple, elegant…and huge. This retro ruby ring from 1960 boasts a gorgeous 6.19 carat center stone accented by 4.4 carats of diamonds.

Ruby appears simply as an accent stone in this Retro bombe cocktail ring by Marchak Paris, but the overall effect was too magnificent not to include it. Ruby makes other stones pop like nobody’s business.

Dating to the year 1900, this navette-shaped ruby ring packs a serious visual punch. Two old cut diamonds ( 2.30) set in a platinum-over-gold, set with baguette cut rubies of tapered baguette rubies.

I had to give you two views, because you needed to see the openwork detail on the gallery, which only shows from the side.

Here’s another Omi Prive ruby ring. Isn’t there something regal about this one, with all its red and gold and bright white diamonds?

A classic ballerina ring, with a cushion cut ruby in the center. I love the way the color of the ruby make this ring look like a frozen explosion.

Let’s end on something contemporary and unusual: this ruby ring has a secret. It features 270 circular-cut rubies (6.93 total carats) in blackened gold. The top slides open to reveal a hidden compartment. This kind of ring is known as a “poison” ring, because of what you could hide inside of it. By Boucheron.

All images and info in this ring roundup are thanks to the original source of each ruby ring. Please see individual descriptions for source links. *