Lab Grown Ruby (Manik)

A laboratory-grown ruby is corundum coloured by chromium — the same mineral and the same colouring element as a mined manik — grown in a furnace rather than in the earth. It has the same hardness (9 on the Mohs scale), the same refractive index and the same red, including the saturated, slightly purplish "pigeon-blood" red that natural Burmese rubies are famous for and that is almost unobtainable, at any size, in a mined stone without heat or glass filling.

What it costs. Our loose laboratory-grown rubies run from ₹25,740 for a 4.68 ct octagon to ₹52,250 for a 9.50 ct oval — about ₹5,500 per carat, against roughly ₹5,000 to several lakh per carat for natural manik depending on origin, clarity and treatment. A 5 ct grown ruby set in a 14K gold ring at Diamos typically finishes between ₹45,000 and ₹65,000. Loose stones carry 1.5% GST; set jewellery carries 3%.

What we say about astrology, plainly. Ruby is the stone of the Sun in Vedic tradition. We do not claim astrological value for a grown stone; that is for your astrologer to decide, and many hold that only a mined, untreated stone counts. What we promise is the colour, the clarity, the carat and a certificate stating exactly what the stone is.

How to choose. Look for a vivid red without a brown or orange cast, full transparency, and a cut that holds colour across the whole face (octagon and oval do this best). 2–4 ct suits a women's ring, 5–8 ct a men's ring or pendant, 8–10 ct a statement piece. Our gemmologists examine every stone before it is listed and will set it in 9K, 14K or 18K BIS-hallmarked gold at our South Delhi atelier, often framed with laboratory-grown diamonds. Read the lab-grown gemstone guide, or compare stones in person at the boutique in C.R. Park.