Ruby Bracelets

The rubies here are set three ways: flexible eternity bangles with stones running the full circumference, a tennis line alternating ruby and diamond, and station designs with oval rubies spaced along a gold band between diamond accents. All are made in 14K gold, with lab-grown or natural diamonds alongside the rubies.

Color first. Ruby is priced on the saturation and tone of its red far more than on carat weight, and a slightly smaller stone with a purer red will outvalue a larger dull one. After color, look at how evenly the reds match each other across the piece, because a bracelet shows every stone at once.

Yellow gold warms the red and is the traditional pairing, particularly in Indian jewelry, where ruby and yellow gold have been set together for generations. White gold does the opposite and cools the setting so the red reads sharper. Rose gold sits between the two and suits a lighter, pinker ruby.

Yes. At nine on the Mohs scale ruby is second only to diamond in hardness and handles daily wear better than emerald or turquoise. The setting matters more than the stone here: bezels and low prongs protect the girdle, which is where a knock does its damage. Have the settings checked once a year.