#  Rubies 

 



     ![Ruby Butterfly](/sites/g/files/omnuum4986/files/styles/hwp_4_3__480x360/public/2026-04/AUPB21%20-%2004164%20The%20Soul%20of%20Flame%20II%20Brooch.small_.jpg?itok=W5igE_rE) 

 



 

 《 The Soul of Flame II 》 Brooch

 The Ikhor Collection



   

 

 

*Rubies* is a new, intimate collection of stunning minerals, gemstones, and jewelry on display in the [Earth & Planetary Sciences Gallery.](https://hmnh.harvard.edu/earth-planetary-sciences-gallery)

Ruby, the red variety of the mineral corundum, owes its vibrant color to trace amounts of chromium in its crystal structure. This element also gives many rubies a striking fluorescence, glowing bright crimson under ultraviolet light. Ruby’s internal world—its inclusions, growth zoning, and rutile “silk” needles—records its geological journey and can reveal its origin, making ruby a gemstone of extraordinary beauty and a rich source of scientific insight.