AbstractThe effect is studied of spin—orbit interaction and low‐symmetry field on the absorption ratios of the wide bands of the excited‐state absorption spectrum and similar bands of the ground‐state absorption spectrum of d3‐configuration. The study includes calculations of the energy of the pure electron transitions and the analysis of the composition of the eigenfunctions of the Cr3+ions in ruby, magnesium oxide, and emerald in the cubic field approximation and taking mixing of all terms of the double trigonal group into account. The results are compared to the experimental values of the ratios of the oscillator strengths of the transitions compared. It is shown that the ratios depend strongly enough on the crystal field parameters and the parameter of the spin—orbit interaction. The influence of the interaction under consideration on the lasing parameters i