While both red stones are stunningly beautiful and durable enough for everyday wear, rubies don’t bend and distort light in the way that diamonds do. This is how diamonds — both fancy colored and colorless — get the distinctive brilliance and fire that has made diamonds such a cultural icon for so long. That being said, rubies are infinitely more affordable than red diamonds and are a classic choice for someone who wants a fiery red stone and whose last name isn’t “Cadillac”.