Melisandre's ruby

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Melisandre's ruby by Ryan Valle © Fantasy Flight Games

Melisandre's ruby is a single great ruby[1][2] gemstone belonging to Melisandre of Asshai, a red priestess of R'hllor. It ornaments a red gold choker that is tighter than any maester's chain.[1] The ruby choker is always worn at Melisandre's throat.

The ruby often gleams red, glimmers,[3] glows,[4] shimmers redly,[1] pulses with light,[2] or throbs.[5][6] Melisandre sometimes touches the ruby at her neck.[3] When she works magic, the ruby glows with power,[5] and it may be able to burn her if the magic worked is particularly demanding.[7]

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

When Melisandre drinks the poisoned wine that Maester Cressen had given her, she remarks that "fire cleanses", while the ruby at her throat shimmers. The strangler poison has no effect on her.[1]

There is a great square-cut ruby set in the hilt of Stannis Baratheon's sword, Lightbringer.[8]

A Storm of Swords

While sailing to back to Dragonstone, Ser Davos Seaworth is reminded of Melisandre's ruby when he sees the watchtower of Sharp Point.[9]

A Dance with Dragons

Rattleshirt's ruby is magically enslaved to Melisandre's ruby, by Lukasz Jaskolski © Fantasy Flight Games

At the Wall, Jon Snow often notices Melisandre's ruby gleaming at her throat.[3][2]

Rattleshirt wears an iron wrist cuff set with a large square-cut ruby, which Melisandre had given him. Jon sees the ruby pulse in time with Melisandre's ruby, and she tells Jon that as long as Rattleshirt wears the ruby, he is bound to her, blood and soul.[4] In truth, Rattleshirt is actually Mance Rayder, glamored to appear as Rattleshirt via the ruby in his wrist cuff, magically enslaved to Melisandre's own. To remove the glamor and show Jon Mance's true appearance, Melisandre touches the ruby at her neck and speaks a word. The ruby in the wildling's wrist cuff darkens, and the glamor dissipates.[7]

Melisandre remembers that when the flames were burning Rattleshirt glamoured as Mance,[2] the ruby at her throat had grown so hot that she feared her own flesh might start to smoke and blacken. She is thankful that Jon delivered her from that agony when he ordered "Mance" to be shot with arrows, Rattleshirt's death causing her to shudder with relief.[7]

Quotes

Melisandre was seated near the fire, her ruby glimmering against the pale skin of her throat.[3]

—thoughts of Jon Snow

Her eyes were two red stars, shining in the dark. At her throat, her ruby gleamed, a third eye glowing brighter than the others.[4]

—thoughts of Jon Snow

Melisandre felt the warmth in the hollow of her throat as her ruby stirred at the closeness of its slave.[7]

—thoughts of Melisandre

Melisandre of Asshai stood closer to the fire, the ruby at her throat pulsing with every breath she took.[10]

—thoughts of Jon Snow

References