Ruby (disambiguation) facts for kids

A ruby is a beautiful and valuable red gemstone. The word "ruby" can also refer to other things, like a city in Alaska or a popular computer programming language.

Ruby: The Red Gemstone

Rubies are famous for their stunning red color. They are one of the most precious gemstones, alongside diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds. A ruby is a type of mineral called corundum. Its deep red color comes from tiny amounts of the element chromium inside the stone. The best rubies have a color often called "pigeon's blood," which is a very pure, vivid red with a hint of blue.

How Rubies are Formed

Rubies form deep within the Earth under intense heat and pressure. They grow in metamorphic rocks, which are rocks that have changed due to these extreme conditions. It takes millions of years for these natural treasures to form. The specific conditions, including the presence of chromium, are needed to create the ruby's unique red color.

Where Rubies are Found

Rubies are found in various parts of the world. Historically, the Mogok Valley in Myanmar (formerly Burma) was famous for producing some of the finest rubies. Other important sources include Thailand, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Vietnam. Each location can produce rubies with slightly different shades and qualities.

Famous Rubies

Many famous rubies exist, often part of royal jewelry or museum collections.

• The Sunrise Ruby is one of the most expensive colored gemstones ever sold. It is a 25.59-carat ruby from Myanmar, known for its rare "pigeon's blood" color. It sold for over $30 million in 2015.
• The Edwardes Ruby is a large, uncut ruby crystal weighing 167 carats. It was found in Myanmar and is now displayed at the Natural History Museum, London.
• The Rosser Reeves Ruby is a 138.7-carat star ruby, meaning it shows a star-like pattern when light hits it. It is owned by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

Uses of Rubies

Rubies are mostly used in jewelry like rings, necklaces, and earrings. Because they are very hard (only diamonds are harder), they are also used in some industrial applications. For example, rubies were once used in lasers and in the tiny bearings of mechanical watches, known as "jewel bearings," to reduce friction.

Ruby: The Programming Language

Ruby is also the name of a popular programming language. It was created in the mid-1990s by Yukihiro Matsumoto in Japan. Ruby is known for being easy to read and write, which makes it a good choice for beginners. It focuses on making programming fun and productive for developers.

What is Ruby?

Ruby is an object-oriented programming language. This means that everything in Ruby is treated as an "object," which helps organize code and make it reusable. It's also a dynamic programming language, meaning you can make changes to your code while it's running.

What Can You Do with Ruby?

Ruby is used for many different things:

• Web Development: One of the most popular uses for Ruby is building websites and web applications. This is often done using a framework called Ruby on Rails, which helps developers create websites quickly and efficiently.
• Scripting: Ruby can be used for writing small programs (scripts) to automate tasks on a computer.
• Data Analysis: While not as common as some other languages, Ruby can also be used for working with data.

Who Uses Ruby?

Many well-known companies and websites have used Ruby on Rails for their platforms. Some examples include Twitter (in its early days), Shopify, Airbnb, and GitHub. This shows how powerful and flexible the Ruby language can be for creating large and complex online services.

Other Meanings of Ruby

• Ruby, Alaska is a small city located in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is situated on the Yukon River.
• Many people are named Ruby, including artists and software developers. For example, Ruby Tjangawa Williamson is an Australian artist, and Sam Ruby is a software developer.

See also

In Spanish: Ruby (desambiguación) para niños