Ruby

For the month of July, we have Ruby! It's the traditional gemstone for July, and the gem for the 15th and 40th anniversaries. 

The word "ruby" comes from Latin "ruber", which means red. It's a variety of the mineral corundum, which in its pure form is colorless, and ruby's red comes from the trace mineral chromium. 

Rubies can command the highest per-carat price of any colored stone. Rubies are mentioned several times in the Bible, in association with attributes like beauty and wisdom. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, ruby is called ratnaraj, or “king of precious stones.”

Rubies are found all over the world, but the Republic of Macedonia is the only country in mainland Europe to have naturally occurring rubies, which are a unique raspberry color. The oldest rubies in the world are found in Greenland, which are estimated to be three billion years old. 

The brightest and most valuable shade of red, called blood-red or pigeon blood, commands a large premium over other rubies of similar quality. Rubies are usually pinker than garnet, although some rhodolite garnets have a similar pinkish hue to most rubies. 

Our Ruby is a saturated tonal red, with hints of pink throughout its tone. We'd say it fits right in the middle of Solidarity and Garnet. For pairings, we recommend Cancer and Leo (obviously!), Pink Drink, American Neon, Hell is Real, Mothman, Gates of Hell, Lughnasadh, Moonville Tunnel, and Lavender Festival. 

BASES:

Mini Skein: 20g, 87 yards, 75% super wash merino/25% nylon
Hattie Floof: 50g, 437 yards, 70% Superkid mohair/30% silk (lace weight)
Chester Sock: 100g, 437 yards, blend of 75% superwash merino/25% nylon
Gladys Shawl: 100g, 438 yards, single ply blend of 70% superwash merino/30% silk
Tortie Sport: 100g, 287 yards, 80% alpaca/20% silk
Minnie DK: 100g, 246 yards, 100% superwash merino wool 
Genny Worsted: 100g, 191 yards, 80% superwash merino/20% alpaca
Chubby Trevor: 115g, 136 yards, 100% superwash merino
Chunky Trevor: 150g, 82 yards, 100% superwash merino, single ply
Summer Fingering: 65% silk/35% linen, 115g skein, approximately 438 yards
Summer DK: 65% silk/35% linen, 115g skein, approximately 246 yards
Summer Worsted: 65% silk/35% linen, 115g skein, approximately 181 yards
Piper Fiber: 85% Polwarth Wool/15% Tussah Silk, approximately 4oz braid of fiber for spinning, felting, etc