Balas ruby is a term used by lapidaries to designates the rose-red varieties of spinel. Spinel is seen of all shades,—blood red, the proper spinel ruby ; rose red, the bolas ruby ; orange or red rubicelle ; and voile t-coloured or almandine ruby.
Red tourmaline is sometimes mistaken for the ruby, and the pink topaz for the balas ruby. Spinel and balas rubies are found in Ceylon, Ava, Mysore, Baluchistan ; the spinel ruby is comparat ively of little value, but they are often sold for a true ruby, and the true ruby is occasionally parted with as a spinel ruby.
Tavernier gives the figures of a ruby that be longed to the king of Persia. It was in shape and bigness like an egg, bored through in the middle, deep coloured, fair, and clean, except one flaw in the side. They would not tell what it cost, nor' what it weighed ; only it had been several years in the treasury. He likewise gives the figure of a balas ruby, sold for such to Giafer Khan, uncle of the Great Moghul, who paid 9,50,000 rupees =1,425,000 livres for it. But an old Indian jeweller affirming afterwards that it was no balas ruby, that it was not worth above 500 rupeds, and that Gaifer Khan was cheated, and his opinion being confirmed by Shah Jahan, the most skilful in jewels of any person in the empire, Aurangzeb compelled the merchant to take it again, and to restore the money back. Tavernier gives also
the figure of a ruby belonging to the king of Visa pur. It weighed fourteen mangelin, or seventeen carats and a half, a Visapur mangelin being but five grains. It cost the king 14,200 new pagodas or 74,500 livres. Also, he figures a ruby that a Banya showed him at Benares ; it weighed 58 rati or 50i carat, being of the second rank in beauty, in shape like a plump almond bored through the end. He offered 40,000 rupees or 6000 livres for it, but the merchant demanded 55,000 rupees.
The largest oriental ruby known was brought from China to Prince Gargarin, governor of Siberia ; it afterwards carne into possession of Prince Menzikoff, and now constitutes a jewel in the imperial crown of Russia.—Eng. Cyc.; King, p. 56 ; Emmanuel; Tavernier's Tr. p. 149 ; Ain slie, Cal. Cat. Exh., 1862:; Newbold in Madr. .1. L. and Sc.; Mason; Ferrier's .Tour.; Davy's Ceylon.