Did you figure out which was the real ruby? Don’t worry if you guessed incorrectly. All three gemstones are gorgeous.

In fact, the other two gemstones are rarer than rubies.

Deep red spinels are natural stones and, while rare, cost less than rubies.

Anthill garnets are found only in Arizona where they are, indeed, gemstones mined by ants. You can read more about them in The Pirate’s Ruby.