Rubies are to be worn on the left side of the body as rings, a bracelets, or brooches; and have the ability to dispell evil thoughts, control amorous desires, dissipate pestilential vapours and reconcile disputes.

When should ruby be worn
The ruby should be worn when your horoscope displays the planet Sun as your weakest planet. You can also wear it if you encounter one or more of the following problems, both related to your personal life and body.

Effects of the weak Sun on your personal life

* Constant disagreements and differences of opinion with your father will give rise to early separation from him. You will only have fewer number of happier moments with your father.
* Fear of tax, fine and imprisonment will haunt you.
* There will be a lack of self-confidence, self-esteem, self-respect and optimism.
* You will feel weak, discouraged and dejected.
* You may lack the drive, motivation and may be dependent upon others emotionally and materially. Identity crisis will disturb you, and you will never get into doing things alone. You would always need a friend physically beside you for comfort and security.
* You will be proved unlucky at every walk of your life.
* You may be sluggish, slow, dull and lethargic.

Effects of the weak Sun on your body

* You may suffer from frequent health problems that will ultimately land you in a hospital.
* You may suffer from anemia, cold extremities, weak digestion, poor appetite, weak or slow pulse, weak heart and poor circulation.
* There may be accumulation of water and phlegm, and general hypo-function of the organs and nervous system.
* Your eyesight may be poor, often metamorphosing into using a spectacle.
* Lack of calcium will lead to weaker bones and arthritis.

Specific details of the ruby to be worn

* The ruby should be dark red in colour.
* It should be minimum of 2 carats.
* It should be set in gold of 14 carats or more, and worn on the ring finger of the right hand.
* It should be of good quality, without flaws and should be transparent.

Other characteristics of ruby

* Ruby is a composition of Aluminium Oxide
* Its crystal structure is Trigonal/Diagonal
* It has a hardness of 9, while Diamond has 10 which is the highest.
* Its specific gravity is 4.00 and refractive index is 1.76-1.77

Wearing your ruby for the first time

* Never wear your gem at the jeweler's place. The first time you wear a gem is very significant and you will have to follow some religious process if you want to extract full benefit from the ruby. Always wear ruby on a Sunday at the most auspicious time.
* Wear the gemstone at the first hour of sunrise particularly when the sunrays are the strongest.

Mantra for ruby

* First wash your gem in rose water.
* Keep it immersed in milk for one hour during the first hour from sunrise starting from one Sunday to the next Sunday.
* Then keep it in the rose water until the chosen date.

On the selected auspicious day invoke the blessings of Lord Vinayaka (Ganesh) by reciting his 108 names. Then at the chosen time, recite the following mantra that are associated with planet Ravi / Sun (ruby is believed to be studded on the crown of the Sun God). Imagine the glorious Sun shining in the beautiful sky, while reciting the mantra.

Recite one of the following mantra 108 times.

OM ADITYAYA VIDMAHE, SAHASRA KIRANAYA DHEEMAHE THANNO BHANU PRACHODAYAT.
(OR)
OM HRAAM HREEM HROUM SAHA SURYAYA NAMAHA.

This mantra should be recited every Sunday during the first hour from Sunrise for 10 continuous Sundays. The main ruling-deity for ruby is Agni or Fire, and the God presiding over it is Lord Shiva. The Sun God who rules Ruby has 7 horses as His vehicle. The 7 horses signify the 7 colours in the white light. The Sun God has the colour of red lotus and His crown is studded with a prominent RUBY. The main grain pertaining to Lord Sun or Ravi is WHEAT. So include Wheat in your poojas. It would be a very good idea to request a qualified purohit to do the necessary pooja in case you find all these a little too complicated. For more details and guidance please consult your astrologer.

Composition of Ruby
Ruby is a type of corundum, or aluminium oxide, and its trigonal crystals are found as six-sided prisms. Pure corundum is colourless; the red colour of ruby comes from the presence of chromium, which is responsible for making rubies fluoresce like glowing coals under ultra-violet light. At times, a minute amount of iron will be present in the crystal lattice, giving a slight brownish tint to the stone and masking the fluorescence to some extent.