THE RED ROMANCE The flaming red hue of rubies evokes association with passion, romance and integrity. According to legend, people who wear rubies are blessed with flourishing romance, family harmony and longevity. It was customary for the ancient warriors of Burma to pierce small openings in their bodies, in which a ruby was inserted. Invincibility in battle would then be guaranteed. Red is an auspicious colour to the Orientals. Naturally, they view rubies in the same light. In Qing-dynasty of China, princes and the highest-ranking officials wore court headwear adorned with a ruby to indicate their distinguished positions. In 585 BC, the Shwedagon Pagoda in Burma was liberally crowned with rubies upon its restoration. Since antiquity, rubies have been an indispensable part of royal jewellery collections around the world. Natural rubies mostly originate in Asia, including Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka. They are also mined in Africa and Australia. Among all, the valley of Mogok in Burma is the most highly acclaimed ruby mining area in the world. A characteristic of its rubies is the curvaceous, angular substances inside them, which enable the reflection of red ultraviolet rays on each facet to yield a vibrant red hue and brilliant glitter. Rubies are formed over long periods of time, under severe pressure within the earth crust and exposure to heat from the sun. Only under these conditions would a pale, colourless raw stone be transformed into a fiery-red ruby. Continuous mining over the millennia has made natural, mature rubies weighing over five carats exceptionally rare. Most rubies unearthed these days are treated with heat for quality enhancement but cannot be compared to the natural ones in colour and luster. The price difference between them is also significant.