Rubies, what are thier uses?

Question

The gemstone, what is thier use, other than looking stylish and "hip."
I have a report due, and i cannot find much more information on these gems other than they are used for lasers.

Any other information/sites would be helpful, i know where the rubies came from and how they are more valuable than diamonds, sometimes. Mohs hardness of it:- 9.

Any and all input, PLEASE!!

&thank you

Answer 1

In addition to their decorative functions, rubies serve a broad range of utilitarian purposes. For example, because of their hardness, they make long-lasting thread guides for textile machines. Ruby is even harder than steel, so it is an excellent bearing material for metal shafts in devices like watches, compasses, and electric meters. Rubies have exceptional wave-transmitting properties for the range from short, ultraviolet wavelengths through the visible light spectrum to long, infrared wavelengths. This makes them ideal for use in lasers and masers (laser-like devices operating in non-visible ranges of microwaves and radio waves).

Answer 2

Synthetic rubies were used as lasers because the crystal had to be 'doped' with the right impurities (chromium)
Rubies, sapphires and carborundum are all the aluminium oxide with different impurities causing the colour.
Larger rubies with a colour called 'pigeons blood' are the most expensive of this family because the are so rare.
Diamonds 'of the first water' are much more expensive carat for carat.
Rubies were used as bearings in fine watches and clocks and chips of ruby and sapphire were used as stylii in record players.
The best rubies were said to occur on the Asian continent and were very popular with Indian and Arabic nobility.
While sapphires are often faceted, good rubies were usually ground into cabochons because of the fascinating colour. However the red colour seemed to reduce the refractive index and made duller faceted gems.

Answer 3

The first answers are correct. The first laser was built in 1958. It consisted of a cylinder of synthetic ruby, about as big as a pencil, with a mirror at one end and a half-silvered mirror at the other, with a xenon tube coiled round it. Ruby is aluminium oxide with a tiny amount of impurity that gives it a red colour. It's almost as hard as diamond. It's a useful abrasive and cutting material. It's one of the most expensive gemstones, and of course it looks nice.

Answer 4

a ruby is the gem stone of corundum which as you mentioned has the place of 9 on the moh's scale of hardness with the hardest being 10 which is diamond ... the non gem crystals are used in abrasives since it is so hard.... the non gem quality is quite valuable in quantity .....

Answer 5

Any stone with a hardness like a ruby or sapphire has industrial uses as an abrasive. Of course the gem quality stones are used for that, but they are the rare stones. The inferior stones are used industrially.

Answer 6

in some lasers but mostly as navel jewels .