How can I tell if a stone is a ruby?

Question

the stone is covered with aluminum oxide and quartz, and all around are small red stones. How can I tell if these are rubies? Do I have to take the whole rock into a jeweler and just say here, look at it.

Answer 1

Well ruby, or red corundum, IS aluminum oxide.

It could also be garnet. You can do a simple hardness test or you can take it to a certified jeweler or gemologist.

Answer 2

Is the stone intact enough to tell what crystal structure it is? That could tell you quite a bit. Is it hexagonal, dodecahedral...Either way, you should probably take it to a graduate gemologist to test it and let you know. They will do a refractometer test on it, which will tell them what it is. They probably should not charge more than $80 or so. They may also just be able to tell from how it looks, the crystal structure, and the inclusions inside. That shouldn't cost as much.

Answer 3

A jeweler might charge a few $ to tell you what it is. You might have it looked at by a college geology professor. Most would be glad to look and explain what it is.