# ruby coin or what?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2017, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561 "2017-04-02T03:46:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![agarwalaritesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@agarwalaritesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/agarwalaritesh)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/1 "2017-04-02T03:46:10Z")
strange…nearly perfect hexagon in ruby…can this be natural or any ancient coin…wondering if any one can help IMAGE [https://ibb.co/gEvxka](https://ibb.co/gEvxka) [https://ibb.co/kySA5a](https://ibb.co/kySA5a) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/2 "2017-04-02T04:01:50Z")
Reported for forum change. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/3 "2017-04-02T04:39:56Z")
> [@agarwalaritesh](#): > > strange…nearly perfect hexagon in ruby…can this be natural or any ancient coin…wondering if any one can help > > IMAGE > > [https://ibb.co/gEvxka](https://ibb.co/gEvxka) > [https://ibb.co/kySA5a](https://ibb.co/kySA5a) It’s a natural ruby crystal. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/4 "2017-04-02T12:50:42Z")
> [@agarwalaritesh](#): > > nearly perfect hexagon in ruby…can this be natural Yes the hexagon shape can be natural. That is how crystals work. And I’ve never heard of crystals cut into discs as coinage. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/5 "2017-04-02T13:14:37Z")
> [@agarwalaritesh](#): > > strange…nearly perfect hexagon in ruby…can this be natural or any ancient coin…wondering if any one can help > > IMAGE > > [https://ibb.co/gEvxka](https://ibb.co/gEvxka) > [https://ibb.co/kySA5a](https://ibb.co/kySA5a) 1. How large is this ruby? 2. Is some person or group suggesting that this might be a coin of some sort? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/6 "2017-04-02T17:09:33Z")
That’s not nearly good enough to be artificial. ---
**Author:** ![agarwalaritesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@agarwalaritesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/agarwalaritesh)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/7 "2017-04-03T06:12:09Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > 1. How large is this ruby? > 2. Is some person or group suggesting that this might be a coin of some sort? its size is 3/4 of an inch. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/8 "2017-04-03T07:16:59Z")
If you google ‘natural ruby crystal’, it’s clear that hexagonal columns of ruby crystal are normal - the same search also returns information on the lattice structure, which appears to indicate cleavage planes that would result in flat, hexagonal pieces such as this. So it’s a natural hexagonal ruby crystal - the formation as a flat piece may be the result of natural processes, or it may be that someone has cut it that way. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/9 "2017-04-03T08:13:53Z")
I think it’s been cut, you can see the marks that run across the natural crystal growth planes. I wouldn’t even call that ruby, it’s not saturated enough and anyway is hardly gem-quality., I’d just go with corundum. That particular form factor isn’t unusual. [At all](http://www.madagascarminerals.com/pd_ruby.cfm). **Mangetout** , those aren’t cleavage planes, ruby doesn’t have cleavage. It does exhibit parting, but that’s not _quite_ the same thing. That’s quite a nice specimen, though - very nice zoned crystal growth. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/10 "2017-04-03T12:51:21Z")
Cleavage planes are my favorite form of transportation. ---
**Author:** ![agarwalaritesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@agarwalaritesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/agarwalaritesh)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/11 "2017-04-03T14:17:45Z")
its all natural…its not cut > [@MrDibble](#): > > I think it’s been cut, you can see the marks that run across the natural crystal growth planes. I wouldn’t even call that ruby, it’s not saturated enough and anyway is hardly gem-quality., I’d just go with corundum. That particular form factor isn’t unusual. [At all](http://www.madagascarminerals.com/pd_ruby.cfm). > > **Mangetout** , those aren’t cleavage planes, ruby doesn’t have cleavage. It does exhibit parting, but that’s not _quite_ the same thing. > > That’s quite a nice specimen, though - very nice zoned crystal growth. * * * ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/12 "2017-04-03T15:46:41Z")
If you _know_ it’s all natural, what was the point of the OP, then? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/13 "2017-04-03T15:57:27Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I think it’s been cut, you can see the marks that run across the natural crystal growth planes. I wouldn’t even call that ruby, it’s not saturated enough and anyway is hardly gem-quality., I’d just go with corundum. That particular form factor isn’t unusual. [At all](http://www.madagascarminerals.com/pd_ruby.cfm). > > **Mangetout** , those aren’t cleavage planes, ruby doesn’t have cleavage. It does exhibit parting, but that’s not _quite_ the same thing. > > That’s quite a nice specimen, though - very nice zoned crystal growth. Looking up the definitions of parting vs cleavage planes - I think I actually meant parting all along. There are natural processes that could break off a slice of the hexagonal column like this - a rock slide could do it if doesn’t need to work perfectly every time. ---
**Author:** ![agarwalaritesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@agarwalaritesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/agarwalaritesh)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/14 "2017-04-04T08:13:10Z")
i meant to say it is not modified or cut but the shape, size and design made me post the query ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruby-coin-or-what/783561/15 "2017-04-04T08:42:22Z")
> [@agarwalaritesh](#): > > i meant to say it is not modified or cut but the shape, size and design made me post the query I don’t dispute that it’s naturally hexagonal, but I think it’s possible this is an artificial slice of a natural crystal column.