Mineralogy and geochemistry of ruby / Минералогия и геохимия рубина

Ruby as a natural gemstone has an early history in which its colorful properties [1] were much valued in ornamental and symbolic jewelry by potentates and other persons of power and prestige [2,3]. This appreciation has extended into latter times and more so into the more general populace. It is an important gem for scientific study [4] and for exploration quests to find new ruby deposits [5,6]. This Special Issue brings together seven papers representing a diversity of scientific teams that have studied ruby and its allied mineral associates from a wide range of global deposits across various genetic settings. The papers cover a significant component of previous ruby literature within their pages, and with use of cutting-edge analytical results in most studies, the Special Issue offers a substantial advance towards a fuller understanding of ruby genesis. Not every aspect of ruby and known ruby deposit is referenced within the Special Issue contents due to the limited number of papers. It is hoped, however, that the Issue will stimulate further research into perceived gaps. The seven separate papers represent 34 individual authors from 16 different institutions in 14 cities and 9 countries. The total number of countries that rubies were described or sourced from exceeded 33 and involved more than 70 separate areas. <...>