Ruby Red Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cancer

A person born between June 21 to July 22 would have a Cancer zodiac sign. If you were born after July 22 but still in July your sign would be Leo (July 23 to August 22). The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) decided on the current list of birthstones in 1912, the second gem that was chosen as July's birthstone is the carnelian. During the time period between the 15th and 20th century, the birthstones for July were generally accepted as being onyx and turquoise.

Answer: A sapphire or a ruby.

To be a ruby the stone needs to be a shade of red, it is colored by the amount of corundum in the stone. If the stone is a color other than red it is a sapphire, both gemstones have the mineral corundum. Both a ruby and a sapphire are corundum. The chemical signature for corundum is Al2O3, Aluminum Oxide and it is the second hardest known mineral.

Answer: It was the first stone in row one.

According to Exodus, "Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breast piece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD." The ruby is generally considered one of the most precious of the twelve stones on the breastplate and holds the first position.

Other stories claim that God placed it on Aaron's neck, but in both cases it is the first gemstone present. The "Breastplate of Judgment" worn by Aaron, was designed by his brother Moses who designed it following the pattern given to him by God.

The Breastplate holds twelve gems representing the "twelve tribes of children of Israel", the gems are arranged in four rows of three.

Answer: He was the creator of the process for making simulated rubies.

In 1902 Auguste Verneuil shared with the world his process of flame fusion. That process, now named the "Verneuil Process", allowed him to make simulated rubies in a lab. Shortly after he went public with his discovery, simulated rubies began to be sold to the public.

Answer: Burma

The Hixon Ruby Crystal can be seen at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. It was donated to the museum by Frederick C. Hixon in 1978. This Burmese ruby is considered the worlds "most perfect specimen", it is 196.10 carats. The date that the ruby was originally found remains unknown.
In 1597, the Burma Monarch Nuha-Thura Maha Dhama-Yaza, passed laws stating that any large ruby found was property of the King. This law was treated seriously and anyone found smuggling rubies out of the mines was tortured and put to death. Despite this law, several gems were smuggled out of the mines and sold. This law was enforced until the late eighteen hundreds, until "the time of the British annexation". Since that time better records have been kept concerning the gems found, but the complete history of some gems remains lost.

Answer: A laser beam.

The red beam on some lasers is created by the use of synthetic rubies. This method was developed by Hughes Research Laboratories in 1960. The use of synthetic rubies as a medium for the laser is no longer popular but in some cases it is still used.

Answer: The Wizard of Oz

I felt that a quiz about rubies should mention Dorothy's famous ruby slippers. She took them from a dead witch in the beginning of the movie after her house fell on the witch, and managed to keep them throughout the entire movie. "The Wizard of Oz" came out on film in 1939. It was based on a child's story written by L. Frank Baum.

Answer: Curing and preventing worms.

Medicine during the middle ages had a wide variety of sources (herbal, prayer, bloodletting) that were practised to try to cure the patient.
Not only was the ruby claimed to protect the wearer from worms, it supposedly also helped the wearer restrain their lust and remain youthful. Some gems were worn as a means of protection and others were ground up to be added to tonics or lotions to bring forth the desired cure.

Answer: Nine

Sapphire and ruby measure a nine on the Mohs Scale. Frederich Mohs created this system for measuring the hardness of gems in 1810. The following is a direct copy of the Mohs scale.

Hardness Mineral Associations and Uses
1 - Talc - Talcum powder.
2 - Gypsum - Plaster of Paris. Gypsum is formed when seawater evaporates from the Earth's surface.
3 - Calcite - Limestone and most shells contain calcite.
4 - Fluorite - Fluorine in fluorite prevents tooth decay.
5 - Apatite - When you are hungry you have a big "appetite".
6 - Orthoclase - Orthoclase is a feldspar, and in German, "feld" means "field".
7 - Quartz
8 - Topaz - The November birthstone. Emerald and aquamarine are varieties of beryl with a hardness of 8.
9 -Corundum - Sapphire and ruby are varieties of corundum. Twice as hard as topaz.
10 - Diamond - Used in jewelry and cutting tools. Four times as hard as corundum.

Answer: Whether it's a ruby or a pink sapphire depends on whether you're the buyer or the seller

Rubies are red, however the shade of red is sometime debatable. A pink sapphire, depending on how dark the pink is can be considered red by some, and using that assumption it can then be sold as a ruby.