My Stone Protectors are little fantasy - mythological creatures that I first created back in the mid 1970's, and still use today in many of my jewelry designs. They kind of look like little bug-eyed salamanders without legs. You can see them better when you click on the pictures to enlarge them. They are magical little creatures who's power is to protect the stones they guard, and keep them from harm or loss. Tolkien never described them in his books, but in my mind's eye they are indigenous to Middle Earth. Being creatures of fantasy, they give the ring a Mythic or Mystical feeling, as if it were created in another time and place of magic.This hand crafted sterling silver ring will be made to your finger size when you order it, and set with a natural blood red ruby. The ruby was mined in Africa, measures about 3.5mm in diameter, and weighs about .25 carats.. The top of the ring measures about 6mm across, and the shank measures about 1.7mm wide and .8mm thick at the thinnest spot in the back. The ring weighs about 1.55 grams, and is stamped Ster inside. . I will make your ring in the size you specify when you order it; sizes 3 through 12 in full, half, or quarter sizes. The ruby will be from the same lot as those pictured and of the same quality. I can usually have the ring made and ready to ship within 3 to 5 business days.PROPER FINGER SIZING: There is no way to accurately guess or estimate the finger size you need for a ring to fit properly. The only way to obtain an accurate measurement is to use the METAL finger gauges used by jewelers. Go to a store that sells rings, and get the finger measured. They will be happy to do this for you. Finger size is totally unrelated to body size or shoe size. Using string or ribbon to measure the finger is not accurate. Printing a paper off the internet and wrapping it around your finger may work if you plan to wear a piece of paper on your finger; but if you plan to wear a silver or gold ring, it probably won't work. Again, the only reliably accurate way is to use metal finger gauges graduated in 1/2 sizes, until you find the one that fits best. Also keep in mind that fingers are smaller when it is very cold, and larger when it is hot and humid. Receiving a new ring that is too large or small is quite disappointing. You will be far happier if you take the time to obtain an accurate size before ordering.I have this ring and similar design rings listed in my Etsy shop with several other gems. If you like the stone protectors design, but would prefer a different gem, I can probably make one for you. I have thousands of gems to choose from. I also have hundreds more fancy color sapphires that I can use in custom pieces for you. Please contact me to discuss your needs.Gemologically Speaking; This is the educational part:Did you know that Ruby and Sapphire are the same mineral? The mineral is corundum. Historically, transparent red to red-purple corundum is called ruby, and any other color of transparent gem corundum is called sapphire. Blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, clear and pink corundum are all called sapphire. Corundum is crystalline aluminum oxide (Al2O3). The various colors come from very small quantities of some other metal in the crystal lattice. In the case of ruby, the red color is caused by the metal Chromium. An interesting note here is that Chromium in beryl crystals makes them green. Green beryl is Emerald. Corundum is actually fairly common in low silica igneous and metamorphic rock, but as gray or brown grains, not in translucent gem quality crystals. It takes very special conditions to form transparent gem corundum crystals. It is usually formed in metamorphic rocks such as marble, schist, and gneiss. It is very hard, having a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs scale. Common corundum is used as an abrasive, such as in sandpaper. Being hard and heavy, with a specific gravity of 3.95 to 4.1, as rock is eroded and weathered away over time corundum crystals become concentrated in placer deposits in drainages below corundum containing rock strata; just like gold nuggets in gold placer deposits. Since gem crystals are few and far between in the rock, it is usually not possible to mine the rock in the mountains to find enough of the crystals to make a profit. Thus almost all ruby and sapphire mines in the world are placer mines where miners "pan" through the dirt and sand in stream basins for rubies and sapphires. And for millennia it has been common practice for miners to heat the corundum they mine to improve the color of their stones. Many rubies also have fissures, which are filled with a red lead glass to fill them in. Truly unheated natural ruby or sapphire is much rarer than most people know. The stone in this ring was heat treated to improve color, but is not glass filled.Metaphysically Speaking:Historically rubies have been associated with love, balance, and physical protection. Kings and Queens considered it the preferred wedding stone. To the ancient Egyptians it represented beauty and love, physical protection, and a harbinger of good fortune. Wearing a ruby was believed to assure the wearer of contentment, physical prosperity, and wealth. As a gift it is seen as a sign of spiritual devotion and lasting love. It enhances the self image of the wearer, enhancing physical beauty and protection. It helps the wearer overcome fears of being ugly or unloved.**Upgrade to Priority or Priority Express shipping to an address in the U.S.A. is available at checkout. You can also purchase an upgrade to Priority shipping from me here:https://www.etsy.com/listing/118405172/upgrade-to-priority-us-post-shipping-to?ref=shop_home_active_5*International shipping to listed select countries for which you pay $26.00 at checkout is by Priority International U.S. Post. Average shipping time is 6 to 30+ business days, depending on how fast or how slow your country's postal system is. Shipping to Canada for $21.00 is by Priority International U.S. Post. Most countries charge a customs duty tax on items you import from the United States. It will be your responsibility to pay this tax when your package is delivered to you. Please check with your local postal service's customs office to learn how much your customs tax will be when your item arrives. In some countries this tax can be quite high.
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