Red Stones: List, Shades, Symbolism, Treatments and Care

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Ruby, garnet, spinel, red jasper, carnelian, coral...: red stones, their shades, hardness, symbolism and the treatments to watch out for.

Key points

Shades	Bright red, blood red, brick red, orange-red, dark red
Best-known stones	Ruby, garnet, red jasper, carnelian, coral
Very hard	Ruby (9), spinel (7.5 to 8), garnet (6.5 to 7.5)
Organic materials	Red coral (animal origin, regulated)
To check	Heated or filled rubies, dyed coral, redstone (glass)
Symbolism	Passion, strength, danger, joy (China), dignity

Where does a stone's red come from?

Mineral red almost always comes from a colouring element: chromium in ruby, iron in red jaspers and garnets, manganese in rhodonite, copper in cuprite. In coral, the red is an organic pigment. The shades range from ruby's purplish red to the brick of jasper, and on to the orange-red of carnelian. Intense, pure red is rare and expensive: this is why treatments and imitations are so numerous.

The main red stones

Stone	Shade	Hardness	Good to know
Ruby	bright red to purplish	9	chromium-coloured corundum; often heated or filled
Garnet	deep red	6.5 to 7.5	silicate family (almandine, pyrope); glass imitations
Spinel	red to pink	7.5 to 8	magnesium and aluminium oxide; mistaken for ruby
Red jasper	brick red	6.5 to 7	microcrystalline quartz rich in iron oxides
Carnelian	orange-red	6.5 to 7	chalcedony; often heated or dyed
Rubellite	bright red to pink	7 to 7.5	tourmaline (elbaite)
Rhodonite	pink to red, black veins	5.5 to 6.5	manganese silicate
Hematoid quartz	red, rust	7	quartz with hematite inclusions
Redstone	red-brown, glittering	about 5 to 6	manufactured glass, not a mineral
Coral	red to pink	3 to 4	skeleton of a marine animal; regulated
Cuprite	dark red, metallic lustre	3.5 to 4	copper oxide; toxic dust
Strawberry quartz	red and pink	7 for quartz	sometimes a red glass: check

A few details

Ruby is a red corundum with hardness 9: one of the hardest gems after diamond, but very often heated, or even filled with lead glass for common grades. Red spinel was long confused with ruby: several famous “rubies” of royal jewels (such as the “Black Prince's Ruby” in the British crown) are in fact spinels. Garnet is a family of silicates (almandine, pyrope...) whose name comes from the pomegranate, through the colour of its seeds. Carnelian is an orange-red chalcedony, often heated to enhance its colour. Red coral is the skeleton of a marine animal, and its harvesting is regulated (see coral). Redstone is a manufactured, glittering glass, not a mineral. Cuprite is a copper oxide whose dust should be avoided (see toxic stones).

What red evokes, across cultures

Red is one of the most symbolically charged colours, and very often an ambivalent one. In the West, it evokes at once blood, fire, desire, martial honour and danger: it is the colour of love as much as of warning. The Church made it the colour of cardinals' robes (the “cardinal purple”). In China it symbolises luck and joy: red envelopes (hongbao) are given at New Year, and brides traditionally dress in red. In India too, red is the traditional colour of the bride.

In modern lithotherapy traditions, red is linked to the root chakra, to energy and to grounding. This is a convention of recent literature, with no scientific basis; see the root chakra.

Treatments, dyes and imitations

Ruby: heating is very common (stable and accepted), but so is filling with lead glass, which weakens the stone and is sensitive to acids and heat. A cheap ruby piece is almost always treated or synthetic; a laboratory can confirm it.
Garnet: red glass is the main imitation; true garnet is heavier and feels cold to the touch.
Carnelian: heated or dyed to enhance the colour; the practice is old and accepted if it is declared.
Coral: dyed coral, or imitations made of glass paste, resin or reconstituted coral powder, are common. See also the CITES rules in travelling with your stones.
Dyed quartz and dyed jaspers: colour that is too vivid or too uniform.

To go further, read real or fake stone.

Care and combinations

Hard red stones (ruby, garnet, spinel, jasper, carnelian) are rinsed in lukewarm water and dried; filled rubies, coral and dyed pieces are treated like fragile stones. Carnelian tolerates a short spell of gentle sun, but dyed stones fade. Red pairs well with black (black stones), orange (orange stones) or pink (pink stones). Details are in the purification table.

Frequently asked questions

Is ruby the only precious red stone?

No. Red spinel and certain garnets (pyrope) are also beautiful red stones. Spinel was mistaken for ruby for centuries.

Is a cheap ruby fake?

It is most often treated (heated, filled with glass) or synthetic. That does not mean it is fake, but its value is different. Ask for an honest description.

Is garnet always red?

No. The garnet family exists in green, orange, yellow and pink, but deep red (almandine, pyrope) is the most common.

Is carnelian red or orange?

Both: its colour ranges from vivid orange to reddish brown. Many carnelians are heated to enhance their colour.

Is red coral legal to sell?

Mediterranean red coral is regulated and its harvesting is controlled. For purchase, import or export, check the rules in force (CITES, European and national law).