New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-31
BIRTHDAY STONE FOR JULY.
THE GLOWING RUBY POSSESSES MANY
CHARMS FOR IT'S wEARERS
SOME OF THE HISTORICAL FACTS AND Medieval
LEGENDS CONCERNING THIS RARE

The glowing ruby should adorn
Those who In warm July are born;
From loves doubts and anxiety.
To those born in July the facts and fances.
legends and traditions which follow concerning the
birthstone will prove interesting
The common ruby or red spinel. is mainly COM
posed Of alumina and magnesia. The Oriental
ruby is pure crys,allized alumina. Its form IL
octahedron Of the monometric system. and its
specific gravity Is 2 TO 4l6 In hardness 1t ranks
The color q the genuine ruby. says The Ameri;
can Vomans Journal is that OF the arterial
oriental ruby, with the right color and all the
weiShine five carats worth ten times as much as
a diamond OF equal weight. The Burmese mines ar
the sagyn Hills. not far from the capital, are the
great sources Of the Oriental ruby; but the red
the stone that is given one who asks for a ruby in
jewflry store Is OF vide Gst16gt0n Great
New-Jersey. Montana, New-Mexioo Arizona ana
Most OF the ruby gems that are met with now
are the spnel stones. like those In the Maltese
Rubies are generally divided into three kinds the
Oriental the spine and the haas: the Oren 1,5i
the spinel and balas contain but seventh-tenths
oxide of cSromiu "'f Substance Of Which the
genuine ruby has not trace Tie spinel. which is
than The baias which is Of Violet iose' although
a few specimens Of white and buish-gray have
IS like that Of the diamond eight sided which i'm
mediately distinguishes II from the Oriental stone
TRADITIONS AND BELIEFS
Ancient belief credited the stone with powers Of
emitting light they even supposed that it would
shine through clothing with undiminished power.
Brahmin traditions speak wonders OF the abodes
of gods lighted by enormous rubies and emeralds.
1t called the live coal Of the Greeks and
would ward of danger by growing dark and
Opaque change in its color announces caarn-
primitive %stre Some Of the 0 Virtues s54buted
TO It are TO Danish sadness, TO repress luxury and
to drive away annoying thoughts. AT the same
time It symbolzes cruelty. anger and carnage, as
According 10 Pny. the first ring with stone WAS
made by Prometheus When he was cut loose
~ Hercules from the chains that bound him 70
Mount Caucasus he made ring out ot one OF the
links OF the chain. and IN the oeZe OF fixed that
part OF the rock that had become stained with mis-
blood. the drops of blood turning into rubies
~ our HUNDRED years ag3 Henri VII offered 10
a ryng Of gold containing a rubye the value Of
thousand scuttes's Chevaler Bayard won at the
tourney of Craignan ring worth 100 ducats.
Marco Polo tells how in CeylQn the King Of his
in excba1ee TO- rb@n her is ne wonderful
tale in the "Gcsta ROnlnorum' where We learn
that roofs were "rayl"d in with ruoyes ryche, but
the stories Of medieval travellers. Frar Jordanus
was so large that hen srasped in lie hand it pro-
tectcd a myers length on Doth sides. and Andrea
Corsal writing IN the sixteenth century, is almost
as enthusiastic over TWO ruoies which he saw IN
the Cinghalese soyere!gns palace
Chardin. indeed described one which he saw IN
Persia engraved with the Of Shek Sophy;
and Iayernier, an old traveller and dealer IN gems,
gives awing OF one without crack or b.cmish.
which weighed 10 ca-ats and j. In the pos
session nj the Shah II Persia. Another. belonging
10 the King OF Isapar. was cut into hemisphere
cal form and purchased In 1853 for 81 SOS one
possessed hy Gustavus III 81 sweden and pre-
scented 20 the Czariua al the time Of her Journey
10 81 Petersburg. WAS the size ot hens egg. eX
cecdins even IN size The uncut gem which On MS
last visit % William III peter the Great pushed
into the Kings hand wrapped in piece Of Brown
% per. But one Of the largest ruoies of which any
accurate knowledge has been obtained Is that found
during the sack " -he summer palace ~ Pekug.
l q
purchased on the return OF mo expedition by the
famous Duke OF Brunswick. On his death il was
sold sor tn sum ~ $4,000
jerome CFrCin insists that ruhi"s not only live.
but liable 20 get sick. 20 suffer from the in
nimitcs o. Oh ag- and az last 20 die. and Or.
De Lignieres admits the POSSIBILITY OF the soundness
OF the theory that precious stones may have heal
lns properties. High scientific authority. he SAYS
mas estao lishti beyond dispute the reality ~
action. v!rtus OF vita, exercised by great
mum OF precious stones. leaving out o. the ques-
ton the influence Of imaeinstion and all the phe-
Eomena % aUtO-su2gest