Ruby facts
Colour: Various shades of red. Optimum colour often refered to as pigeon blood red!
Hardness: 9 (on Moh's hardness scale). Second only to diamond.
Specific Gravity: 3.99/4. This is an indication of the stone's density, calculated by comparing the stone's weight with the weight of an equal volume of water.
Refractive Index: 1.76 to 1.77. This is a measure of the amount light is bent from its original path when passing through a stone.
Chemical composition: Aluminium oxide, Al2O3. Part of the corundum family of minerals.
Principal sources: Afghanistan, Africa, Mynmar (Burma), Thailand.
Payne and Son
Payne & Son was founded in 1790 and after eight generations is still run by members of the same family.
John Payne opened a silversmiths and jewellers in Wallingford in 1790, with other shops opening in Abingdon 1825, Banbury 1842 and Tunbridge Wells 1870, all run by various members of the Payne family. George Septimus Payne inherited the Abingdon shop in 1874, but 14 years later, he decided to move to Oxford. Payne & Son (Goldsmiths), Oxford, started trading in January 1889 and have been at 131 High Street ever since.
