July Birthstone Rings

This article is part of our Birthstone Rings series, where we share the beautiful and varied ways our customers have featured birthstones in their rings.

July's birthstone — ruby

July birthdays get ruby as their birthstone. Is there any gem that's more symbolic of treasure? Just ask any kid or cartoonist what goes right in the center of a pile of lost treasure — a bright red ruby gemstone. But the good news is that rubies aren't just for cartoon pirates and royals. They're a perennially popular center stone, beloved for the vivid red color they bring to a ring.

We give rubies an excellent wearability rating. They're a perfect choice for a daily-wear ring. And, while rubies are among the more expensive colored gemstones, lab-made rubies provide a lower cost alternative for those on a budget. Take a look at a handful of ruby rings we collected below to get inspired for your own ruby birthstone ring.

Natural ruby rings

What better way to start our showcase of July birthstone rings than with this beautiful gold flower ring? This ring was part of a three-piece set our customer created for three generations of moms — two rings and a pendant for his wife, daughter and mother-in-law. Each piece captured the birthstones of children and grandchildren. This ring featured a vivid red ruby at the center of an open rose-inspired design, with emerald, diamond and garnet scattered on the petals around it.

This ring's design features a ton of personal details. The white diamonds we took from a family heirloom (an earring he sent us), to carry that history into the new engagement ring. And, under the center setting is a peek-a-boo set black diamond, which represents the couple's beloved dog (a big black boxer they lovingly call their "shadow"). The diamonds are set in a balanced cluster around the deep red ruby we selected, with little crescent moons tucked into two of the diamond settings.

There's a crescent moon in this ring's design, too, though this design makes it much more bold and prominent. The ruby at the center of this ring has a brighter red color with a very slight pink hue (which this very bright photo makes far more prominent). The unique, whimsical design surrounds the ruby with the moon and stars (could he propose with anything less?), and a yin-and-yang inspired play of black and white diamonds.

For this ring, we summoned our love of Victorian design. Our customer showed us photos of his partner's grandmother's ring as an example of something she wears every day and loves. From that inspiration, we created this vintage-inspired ring with intricate scrolling details and opal accents. The ruby we selected has a really warm, medium-red color, which is made even deeper by the rose gold setting.

Lab-created ruby rings

A lab-made ruby offers everything you expect of a ruby — the beautiful red color, durability for a lifetime of daily wear — but without the mining process, and at a lower price. For this rose ring, we nestled the deep red ruby into the heart of the flower petals, with emeralds bringing out the green of the surrounding leaf band.

This delicate engagement ring's vining rose gold band has sparkling moissanite accents to complement the rich red of the lab-created ruby center stone. For a subtle, sweet touch, the floral, petal-inspired setting curves into heart-shaped prongs on each corner of the princess cut ruby.