Solution:The red colour of ruby is due to the presence of traces of Chromium and not Beryllium. The colour can range from orange-red to red or purplish-red.
The alkaline earth metals are the elements that correspond to group 2 of the modern periodic table. This group of elements includes beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium.
The elements of this group are quite similar in their physical and chemical properties. For example, all alkaline earth metals are silvery-white-coloured solids under standard conditions. They are also highly lustrous (shiny) and are quite reactive.
The general electronic configuration of these elements is N1S2. Since the alkaline earth metals have a completely full s-orbital in their respective valence shells, they tend to readily lose two electrons to form cations with a charge of +2. Thus, the most common oxidation state exhibited by alkaline earth metals is +2.