A team of scientists from the University of Waterloo in Canada discovered the remains of graphite in a 2.5-billion-year-old ruby. A specimen of this relic gem was found in the city of Manitsok, Greenland.

hey Study, which is now published in the scientific journal Ore Geology Review, confirms that there was life, especially organisms such as cyanobacteria. To reach this conclusion, the group analyzed the isotopic composition of carbon atoms, which have an atomic mass of 98% normally 12 units (carbon-12). According to Chris Yakimchuk, one of the authors, “living matter preferentially contains lighter carbon atoms because they consume less energy to incorporate themselves into cells.”

Graphite is found only in rocks of similar or older age, marking a period when there was little oxygen and only microorganisms on the planet, the authors say. In this case, only rubies are present in this rock due to graphite, which changed the chemistry of the rocks at that location, creating favorable conditions for the appearance of the precious stone.

“The graphite inside this ruby ​​is truly unique. This is the first time we have seen evidence of ancient life with rubies in rocks,” says the expert author. “The presence of graphite gives us even more clues to determine How rubies are formed at this location, something that is impossible to do directly based on the color and chemical composition of the ruby.”