Chapter 6 says rubies are “the most expensive gems, by size, in the world.” Fine rubies are extraordinarily valuable, and GIA has described record-setting ruby prices. But the statement becomes false if gem includes diamonds.
Quick Take
Analysis
The auction record is not ruby
Guinness records the Blue Moon of Josephine, a vivid blue diamond, at more than $4 million per carat. Its documented per-carat price greatly exceeds the record figures associated with celebrated rubies such as the Sunrise Ruby.
A narrower version would work
Rubies are often described as among the most valuable colored gemstones and can command extraordinary per-carat prices. The book removes those qualifiers and elevates ruby above every gem category.
Deep Dive
This is a recurring pattern worth tracking across the series: superlatives become much easier to falsify than descriptive language. “Among the most valuable” is robust; “the most expensive gems in the world” is not.
Bottom Line
Verdict: overstatement. Rubies can be record-setting colored stones, but fancy diamonds have achieved substantially higher prices per carat.
Sources & References
- GIA — Ruby auction record and gemological background.
- Guinness World Records — Blue Moon of Josephine per-carat diamond record.
- Guinness World Records — Sunrise Ruby per-carat record.
Keep investigating
Open Question
Do other chapters use absolute superlatives where a narrower, accurate phrase would have been just as natural?
Community research
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