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Fire in July, not yet in August. The blazing heat of midsummer,
It seems that only the fire of the ruby can match it,
So people set rubies as the birthstone of July,
It seems well deserved.
Rubies conquer people's hearts with a piece of sincerity, but also represent
All strong words: glory, wealth, love, passion...
Today we're going to talk about rubies,
Take a look at the love-hate stories that revolve around it.
Alphonse Mucha's Anthropomorphic Ruby prints / 1900
The sun sinks and the moon rises, the vicissitudes of the sea and the mulberry fields, a red light appears in the world,
Just for a ride with you
Glory · Exclusive to the royal family
Even the trajectories of the stars were not the same as those of today, hundreds of millions of years ago, and this red fluorescence already existed between the Mountains of Wanjun. Natural rubies have been mined for 8,000 years, but for a long time they can only get 1 carat for every 400 tons mined, so they are all symbols of honor in different civilizations.
One of Britain's most powerful queens, Elizabeth I," was forever embellished with rubies on her skirt/ William Segar / 1585
In Sanskrit, rubies are called "ratnaraj," the "king of gemstones," the Bible honors rubies as the first of the 12 rare gemstones; and the ancient Indians also believed that whoever could sacrifice the finest rubies would become emperor in the next life.
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Slip left to admire more depictions of "rubies" in 16th-century German manuscripts
Time has passed, and the noble and mysterious color of ruby has not diminished, and it is coveted by the magnates and the empire. However, in the past, people collectively referred to red gemstones as "rubies", and the British royal family also made a "beautiful mistake": Britain has an "imperial crown", and the most prominent position in the center is a "Black Prince Ruby" that has been regarded as a treasure by successive monarchs.
This "ruby" was acquired by the 14th-century King of England nicknamed "Edward the Black Prince" and has been treasured by successive monarchs ever since
The original imperial crown was made when Victoria crowned Queen of India, and by 1937 a very similar crown was created in the royal family, and the center of the "Black Prince Ruby" remained unchanged
This 170-carat "ruby" flowed into the British royal family in the 14th century, and in 1783, it was found by gemologists to be a spinel that was very similar to ruby! But this small mistake did not hurt, and today the Queen of England still wears it to the opening ceremony of parliament every year. And the British royal family also has no shortage of pure-blooded ruby jewelry, such as this "rose crown" with a very high appearance rate.
The Queen's "rose crown" in the photo was made of genuine rubies
The 96 rubies on the crown were gifts from burmese when the Queen married Prince Philip in 1947. Ruby is produced in 8 major regions, with Myanmar being the best. The number "96" is not accidental, but the Burmese believe that 96 rubies are the best protection for the wearer from disease, based on ancient tradition, and only after a thousand choices are given to the queen.
The top 8 sources of ruby are Myanmar, Mozambique, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Vietnam, Tanzania and Kenya, and Myanmar ruby rough is younger and more colorful
In 1973, the Queen commissioned garrard, a royal jeweler, to create a crown from these 96 rubies, so we now see the "Rose Crown", also known as the "Burmese Ruby Crown".
Ruby symbolized supreme glory when it circulated among empires, and when it stepped down from the altar, it could also be a capital for the rich and upstarts to show off their wealth. Wives of financial giants, which one does not have a ruby leaning body?
When ruby walks down the altar,
They flew again to the shoulders of the ladies
Fortune · Standard for fuja upstarts
In 1887, the 25-year-old American youth Cobsch and his father founded the "St. Louis Automobile Company", he called for the replacement of animal pulling cars with electric, which made the company become the world's largest tram manufacturer and topped the rich list. So a few years later, when his eldest daughter was born, Kobshi presented his wife with a ruby diamond ring weighing 3.168 carats.
This Ruby Ring from Mermod & Jaccard from the 1890s features an old-cut diamond set on each side of the center stone
Mrs. Kobsch's wearing did not matter, and it set off a wave of ruby collection in the entire European and American super-rich circles. Because Kobshi's ruby is not idle, but a Burmese "pigeon blood red" that has not been heated in any way.
This lady was a Rothschild lady who married one of the family's financial giants and became one of the richest women in All of Europe
In Ingres' portrait of her, a ruby bracelet and ring are worn. Rubies are always the prey of the super-rich
Burmese rubies are already rare, and the color of the "pigeon blood red" level is even more unique. The definition of "pigeon blood red" in the established authoritative laboratory Guberlin is harsh: it must be a pure red with a very high saturation, evenly distributed in color, and only the slightest cracks are allowed.
"Pigeon blood red is a radiant color that burns and flows like blood like a flame on the outside under the gorgeous and shiny exterior."
——Founder of the Guberlin Laboratory
The inclusions "syrup" / "pigeon blood red" in pigeon blood red originally specifically referred to the best rubies produced in Mogu, Myanmar, but now the scope of "pigeon blood red" is constantly expanding, no matter where it is produced, as long as the breed and color grade are optimal
And people often say "ten treasures and nine cracks", because the crystal captures too much magma, gas in the ore pulp or gas-containing liquid and other substances during the long growth process, then the gem needs to be heated to a certain temperature to improve its clarity. But this ruby of Kobshi's was unheated, pure as a burning flame, and the moment it met, it fell deeply.
This 18-carat white gold diamond and ruby ring from France from the 1960s features a Burmese no-burn (one-horned deer selection)
But however, as many people use rubies to show power and wealth, how many people show their true hearts with fire. The love story related to ruby is slowly opening.
The fire dancing on the ruby facet is the throbbing heartbeat of the boy and the girl
Love · Show me my heart to you
Napoleon III, emperor of the Second French Empire, knew how to compare the rarity of rubies to the uniqueness of his heart. At the dinner party at the Elysée Palace, the red-haired maiden Eugenie's amazing glimpse made Napoleon III make up his mind between the electric flint stones: he would not marry her. Is this pursuit coming too hastily? The Heart of Ruby will show my sincerity.
"How does the road to your heart go?"
―Napoleon III confessed enthusiastically when he first met Eugenie
Eugenie is the "two great beauties of Europe" who respects Princess Sisi, and those who pursue her are like carp across the river, and only the most precious intention can impress her
This heart-shaped pendant from the 1850s is the "precious heart" that Eugenie received: rubies and diamonds are alternately arranged, a ruby bow is embellished with hooks, and a bunch of Napoleon III's hair is hidden on the back, and his deep love is self-evident.
The pendant was also featured at the 2008 "Le Grand Frisson" jewellery show in Paris and became a huge hit
The rubies on the pendant are cut in rounds, with intricate facets that showcase the sparkle of the gemstones, competing with rose-cut diamonds. In the face of such a big confession, where can Eugenie stand up? Only nodded shyly and became his queen.
The queen's relic was sold in London in 2019 for RMB375,000
In 1853, Eugenie became the wife of Napoleon III and empress of the Second French Empire
Some people's love has been blessed by everyone and become a good story, and some love has not been tolerated in the world, so they have to use rubies to build weapons to declare war on the world.
A notorious love affair
It must be sacrificed with a jewel that has been passed down from generation to generation
Questioning · Let the ruby be a testimony to this love of the country
Time comes to England in 1936.
The British crowd was furious because their King Edward VIII was determined to marry a divorced commoner from the United States, Mrs. Wallis Simpson! On the one hand, the insults of the people and the isolation of the royal family on the other, Edward VIII insisted on going his own way, only to prepare for his abdication plan.
"Without a woman I love around to help and support me, I don't think I could have taken on the heavy responsibility of a king, so I chose to give up the throne."
—Edward VIII
This Edward VIII is the great uncle of the current Queen Elizabeth II, and Mrs. Simpson (right) has not even divorced her second husband when she is dating, so it is the cause of the commotion
In between preparations, he did not forget to send Wallis some "small gifts" to send lovesickness. This ruby bracelet, designed by legendary Van Cleef & Arpels designer René Sim Lacaze, is engraved with the phrase the two men used to comfort each other in difficult times: Hold Tight 27.III.36, meaning: Hold Your Hand, March 27, 1926.
Van Cleef & Arpels still retains the bracelet manuscript designed for Madame Simpson at the time, and the geometric stitching is exactly the Art Deco style that was popular at the time
Three months later, on Wallis' 40th birthday, Edward VIII again asked René Sim Lacaze to design a "cravate necklace": rubies and diamonds tangled together like brocade, and a fiery red fringe poured out. The ruby was also the stone to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary, and Edward VIII could not wait for 40 years to give his lover the strongest vows.
The necklace hook is engraved with the inscription: My Wallis, from her David, sold for $2,603,308 on June 19, 1936/1987
On December 10, 1936, Edward VIII finally delivered an uproar at his abdication, which was later renamed "Duke of Windsor" by his successor brother. Forced by the situation at the time, of course, he could not spend Christmas with Wallis, so he apologized for offering a brooch in the shape of holly leaves from Van Cleef & Arpels.
In 1987, the Van Cleef & Arpels holly leaf brooch sold for $806,000
In her later years, Mrs. Simpson wore the brooch
This brooch, crafted from a hermit-set ruby and diamond, is Wallis' love interest and has been worn in a high profile for different occasions. The futaba design can be said to be very rebellious at the time, which coincides with the deviant character of the two people: the world is the enemy of you, and I am the enemy of the world.
18K platinum gold 18K gold diamond double leaf brooch from France in the 1950s (the best of the one-horned deer selection)
Every node of this love affair is engraved on the ruby, and the Duke of Windsor spends the rest of his life interpreting the passion in that red.
The ruby came from the mountains of hundreds of millions of years ago,
Generations of magnates have endorsed her, and all the rich people have spoiled her and loved her.
She is the crazy heartbeat of a naïve girl,
It is the galloping blood of a dancing boy,
He is also a witness to the shocking forbidden love.
In 1968, Taylor screamed in surprise when he received the Blood Red Ring of the Burmese No Burnt Pigeon
It resounded through the valley where their holiday estate was located
And she will always hide the secret of conquering the world
In the red glow that resembled a burning flame and flowing blood
Only those who have had it will understand.
Editor | Kate
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