Ruby (Manik)

About this Ruby (Manik)

This is a single ruby of 4.80 carats, described by the supplier as Burmese Ruby, with an origin of Burma (Myanmar) and a treatment of heated, both as described by the supplier. Heating is a long-established practice for ruby, used to improve colour and appearance, and we state it plainly so you know what you are buying. Ruby is a red variety of corundum, close kin to sapphire. In Hindi and in Jyotish it is known as Manik or Manikya, and Sanskrit texts sometimes call it Padmaraga.

Ruby is the navaratna gem of the Sun (Surya). Classical texts associate the Sun with the soul, the father, authority and government, and with the king among the planets. By custom a ruby is set in gold or copper, worn on the ring finger, and first put on at sunrise on a Sunday, sometimes with recitation of the Aditya Hridayam or a Surya mantra. Some lineages also set a minimum weight for an astrological ruby, while others leave that to the astrologer; practice is not uniform.

You receive the ruby on its own, with no ring or pendant included. Corundum is durable enough for a ring worn daily, though any gem can chip on a hard knock. When you take the stone to a jeweller, mention its carat weight and the fact that it is heated, so the setting work and the paperwork both describe it accurately.

The Sun is a strong influence to add to a chart, and ruby is avoided by many astrologers where the Sun rules a difficult house for the ascendant. Please have an astrologer review your birth chart before you wear it.

Astrological significance

In Jyotish the Sun is the karaka of the atma (soul), the father and authority. A Sun gemstone is usually considered when the Sun rules the ascendant or a trine; this stone is listed for Leo, Aries and Sagittarius ascendants, where the Sun rules the 1st, 5th or 9th house respectively. Astrologers also look at the sign the Sun occupies, its aspects and which dasha is running, and many avoid ruby where the Sun rules a dusthana for the chart.

Care & first wear

Wash in lukewarm soapy water with a soft toothbrush, rinse and pat dry. Ask a jeweller before using steam or ultrasonic cleaning, since inclusions near the surface can be stressed by either. Keep the ruby in its own pouch so it does not scratch softer pieces such as pearl, coral or gold.