Color: red to brownish red. Hardness: 9. Ruby is Birthstone for July and astrological stone of Capricorn. Ruby is a rare variety of Corundum. It exists in many shades of red, from a shade of pink to shades of purple and shades of brownish red. The red colour is determined by the amount of Chromium present. The name Ruby comes from the Greek rubeus. meaning red. The Burmese wore this stone as a talisman to protect them against illness or misfortune. Main supply sources include Burma ( Myanmar ), Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Madagascar.