Priscilla Chan’s ruby wedding ring may be valuable

After glimpsing Mark Zuckerberg's new bride's wedding ring, the gossip rags were buzzing about how the billionaire founder of Facebook could have afforded something more expensive than the simple ruby ring.

Priscilla Chan's ring was spotted in Palo Alto California on Wednesday, setting off immediate speculation about its worth and why it wasn't a diamond. The Daily Mail said a "safe estimate" from jewelry experts suggested the ring, which the Associated Press reported that Zuckerberg himself designed, was worth $25,000.

The Daily Mail did note that the ruby has cultural significance in Asian cultures, where it represents wisdom.

A ruby expert who spoke to Yahoo News said the ruby may have cost upwards of $100,000.

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"It's a small stone, but rubies can be extremely expensive," said Michael Arnstein, who is the CEO of the Natural Sapphire Company. He estimated that Chan's ruby was 2.75 to 3 carats, which for a low quality stone would cost $20,000, but for a high quality stone could cost up to $100,000.

Arnstein said, "A Burmese ruby, which this definitely looks like, can cost upwards of $100,000," according to Yahoo News.

The Daily Mail pointed out that a 32.08 carat Burmese ruby and diamond ring recently sold for $6.7 million through Christie's.

Still, the speculation around the nearly austere budget of the wedding continues, with MSNBC noting that Chan's wedding dress was an off-the-rack $4,700 dress from designer Claire Pettibone, purchased in Denver under a pseudonym.

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