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Ruby |
Rubies are one of the hardest
known minerals. With a hardness of 9 on
the Mohs scale, it is only softer than a diamond. Rubies are known for their beautiful red
color. A ruby is a variety of the
mineral corundum. The gemstone sapphire
is also a variety of corundum and comes in many colors, except for red. Rubies have a glassy luster which makes them
shiny. Rubies are most commonly used for
jewelry. Rubies are commonly mined in Myanmar,
Thailand, Kenya, the United States, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. In 2005, a 440 carat ruby was discovered and
thought to be one of the largest gems found to date.







