Tourmaline is the most varicolored of all gemstones. While it mostly occurs in shades of green, it is also found to occur in almost every known gemstone color. Multicolored Tourmaline is very common and the most famous multicolored variety is the pink and green combination called Watermelon Tourmaline. And the lustrous, remarkable reddish to pink and purple color variety of Tourmaline is known as Rubellite. It is the only gemstone that occurs in such a rich, dark-red color besides Ruby and Red Spinel.

Rubellite that has a deep ruby red color is rare and the most valuable form of Tourmaline. Inclusions are common in this stone. And the greater the impurity the darker is the red color and more imperfect the final crystal, as impurities that cause the red or pink color actually causes a growing crystal to crack or become internally flawed. Thus it is extremely rare to find pink, red or dark violet colored Rubellite that is clean.

Rubellite has a hardness of 7 - 7.5 on Moh’s Scale and is faceted into gems for jewellery as well as carved into ornamental figures and carvings. Rubellite too displays the property of pleochroism that is it exhibits different colors when viewed at different angles. Some specimens also contain tiny, parallel inclusions, causing them to display cat’s eye effect when polished. Such stones are cut as cabochons.

The ancient Hindus enchanted by the color of rubies considered them to be "Ratnaraj" or the "King of Precious Stones".

The mining of rubies goes back to more than 2,500 years ago in Sri Lanka. Historically, many believe that mystical powers lie within this intensely colored red gemstone. When inserted beneath the skin, the ancient Burmese believe that the stone generates a mystical force, which protects the wearer from accidents and attack.

The word ruby is derived from the ancient Latin term "Rubeus". Today, Burma is the world's largest provider of high quality rubies. Many consider Burmese rubies from the Mogok Valley to be the world’s finest. Vietnam, Kenya, Tanzania and Sri Lanka are some of the other providers of this truly enchanting gemstone. Thailand, with large deposits near the Cambodian border, was previously the world's largest provider of rubies, but due to environmental regulations, the mining of gemstones has been greatly reduced.

Inclusions that are microscopic, sometimes called "silk", are a normal characteristic of rubies. However, heating tends to dissolve these inclusions. The existence of inclusions provides traces to the rubies' origin and can be used to separate natural from synthetic stones. The Intensity and uniformity of the red color are the factors used to determine the price of rubies. Highly valued rubies are those with intense medium red and uniformed color. Intense pink rubies can be highly appraised as well.

They come in many different shapes and sizes, providing great variety to gemstone lovers. With hardness just below that of diamonds, rubies are one of the toughest gemstones, and with no cleavage, breakage rarely occurs. This makes ruby perfect for all kinds of jewellery including ruby rings, ruby necklaces and ruby earrings. Another popular form of ruby jewellery is with the rare yet equally magnificent star rubies. Today online star rubies have helped increase the popularity of jewellery with rubies.

Rubies should be evaluated under different light settings. When viewed under very strong light, rubies may show very intense color; however, when viewed under normal lighting, the gemstone may appear less intense. Light is therefore a very important factor in determining the true color of rubies.