Apparently not, though, as [NightHawkInLight] reveals his trivially easy method for making synthetic rubies. Like their gemstone cousin the sapphire, rubies are just a variety of corundum ...
Chromium-doped sapphire (Cr: Sapphire or Cr: Al2O3) produces a reddish, synthetic, ruby material. Titanium-doped alumina and titanium-doped sapphire can produce a blue colored material at sufficient ...