Shopping for a ruby can be a great adventure. One of the main choices will be between a natural and a created ruby. When we say "natural" we mean that it came from inside the earth, probably was found in a mine or possibly in a river, formed without any help from mankind. When we say "created" we are saying that mankind controlled the conditions and thus helped the ruby to be formed, it was never found in a mine or in a river. Both are real rubies, identical in composition and properties.

Natural rubies are by far in the greatest demand for obvious reasons. What nature has created by her mysterious ways is certainly fasinating for us all. The widest range of variations will be found in natural rubies. This is because of the differing conditions such as the presence of other elements and minerals and changes in temperature and pressure while the ruby was being formed deep inside the earth. This means that some natural rubies will be opaque and full of inclusions while others on the other end of the scale will be highly translucent and perfectly clean inside. They all will be red corundum but they will look much different from each other. Normally a ruby with more inclusions will be cut into a cabochon and a cleaner stone will be faceted. These different styles of cutting will show-off the better characteristics of the particular stone since the stone with inclusions cut into a cabochon can have a star or a play of light as the light is reflecting off of the silk inclusions, while the stone with few inclusions being cut with facets will reflect light thru itself and show a play of light reflecting off of the facets themselves. Most ruby cabochons will be natural rubies with the main exception being the created star ruby. Faceted rubies are quite a different story.

Created rubies originally had no inclusions at all or they were opaque with a geometrically too-perfect star. Thus it used to be easy to spot a created stone, either it was a priceless and perfect specimen of nature or it had been created by man. Usually this meant it was created, of course. These days however, things have changed. Some created and faceted rubies now have slight inclusions and look extemely close to the same as a natural gem. So close, in fact, that alot of experts are being fooled. Good gem laboratories can still separate the two.

When you are shopping for a ruby the seller will tell you his or a third parties opinion of whether the stone is natural or created. Often some paperwork will come with the stone and this will give you some assurance that it is what they say it is.

Color is a huge factor in your decision. All rubies are red but some will be a little pink or a little purple. Often the created stones will give you a better color for less money but it is definately exciting to find a natural stone with 'your color'. Of course there is more to life than color.

Duability will be another factor to consider. All corundum is generally considered to be a stone you can bang around everyday and it will still be beautiful and never scratched. They can be broken, however, rarely. A created stone is generally more likely to have less chances of threatening fractures than a natural stone so perhaps the created stone will win in this department as well. You can look closely at any stone and possibly see a fracture or a crack that goes all the way to the surface of the stone, avoid these.

Cut will be a consideration in buying a ruby but any stone whether natural or created can be machine cut or hand cut in any style. All stones will be cut, none are cast so there is no difference between them as far as the cutting goes.

Clarity will be a consideration, especially in a faceted stone. The more silk and other inclusions inside, the less sparkle a faceted stone will have. Natural rubies with only light inclusions will fetch a high price. Generally a created stone will have enough inclusions to lend it a natural appearance but not so much as to limit the sparkle. The people that create these stones have done their homework.

Carat, or size, will be a factor of course. You want the right size, not too big and certainly not too small. Natural and created stones are available in most any size. Smaller natural stones with few inclusions are quite common so if you prefer a natural, faceted ruby and desire a size under 2 carat, your chances are very good. The larger natural stones are certainly more rare and will cost more per carat and are more likely to have more inclusions. Created stones with few inclusions are certainly easier to find in any size, especially the larger sizes.

Cost is huge consideration for most of us. Some companies charge nearly the same price for their created products because they claim that they are offering essentially the same product. Check prices and compare apples to apples. Created rubies are often availalable for a small fraction of the cost of a comparable natural ruby.

Admittedly the created ruby of today seems to be a better buy than the natural ruby on most points. Explaining why we prefer the naural ruby is not an easy task but most everyone will agree that we certainly do. The qualities that make a natural stone better than a created stone to most people are perhaps judged by our higher sences. Is one or the other more healing than the other?, better luck than the other?, more hidden power than the other? If you find out the answers to any of these questions then maybe you should write a paper on it. Thanks for reading and above all, have fun shopping and enjoy your ruby.