July is synonymous with rubies – the fiery birthstone of this month. Formed deep beneath the Earth some 500 million years ago, rubies have long been associated with passion, prosperity and protection, and are cherished for their talismanic properties, not to mention the sheer glamour and romance of the ‘lucky’ colour red. Utterly versatile, they work as well in everyday designs as they do in the show-stopping ruby statement pieces that can be seen gracing the red carpet.