| Spinelle Ruby, called Dodecahedral corundum by some mineralogists, and balas ruby by lapidaries. |
| Ironically red spinels, often referred to in ancient texts as balas rubies, are actually more rare than ruby but, unlike ruby, they can sometimes be found in very large sizes. |
| Hence, in 1402, Berry convinced the king to open the royal coffers and disburse 14,000 of the 18,000 ecus he needed to purchase a fabulous balas ruby. |
| The coronation crown featured large balas rubies, surrounded by emeralds, pearls, oriental sapphires, and rubies. |
| But in the battle in which balas was overthrown, the Egyptian king also received his death wound. |
| Some garnets, e.g., Arizona ruby, Bohemian ruby, Cape ruby, and some spinels, e.g., balas ruby, ruby spinel, are ruby colored. |
