Buyer's Guide to Ruby Gemstones

 

Rubies are corundum with a red colour, while sapphires are corundum with different colours. Pink corundum is also known as rubies in Asia. Pink sapphires are the name given to such jewels outside of Asia. When planning to buy high quality ruby this blog should be your ultimate guide

Colour

The very first thing to check for when you’re looking to buy high quality ruby is the colour of the gem. The intensity of the red colour is the most critical criterion in assessing ruby value. The perfect stone has a deep, rich crimson colour that is neither too light nor too dark. Stones that appear overly black and garnet or are excessively pale in hue are less valuable. The colour of the finest rubies is akin to that of a red traffic light.

Lighting

Incandescent or daylight lighting is optimal for viewing rubies (particularly around midday) when you’re looking to buy high quality ruby. Avoid fluorescent tubes, which produce almost no light in the red part of the spectrum, making ruby appear greyish.

Clarity

Rubies are less clear than sapphire in terms of clarity. When planning to buy high quality ruby you should search for eye-clean stones, meaning they have no apparent imperfections to the naked eye. The presence of excellent silk throughout some rubies might actually increase its value. Many rubies have a brilliant red glow when exposed to light, which adds immeasurably to their attractiveness.

While a certain amount of silk is required to achieve the star appearance in star ruby, too much silk causes the colour to become desaturated and appear greyish. This is not a good situation. 

Cut

It is important to consider the Rubies are available in a range of forms and cutting methods on the market, as it is a crucial aspect when you’re planning to buy high quality ruby. The most prevalent shapes are ovals and cushions, but other shapes, like the heart or emerald cut, are also popular. Round stones receive a slight premium, whereas pears and marquises receive a small discount. Overly deep or shallow stones should generally be avoided.

Rubies with cabochon cuts are also common. This cut is used for star stones that are too dirty to facet. The best cabochons are translucent, have smooth domes, and are symmetrical. Unless the stone is priced appropriately, avoid stones with too much surplus weight below the girdle.

Prices

Ruby is the most valuable gem in the world, except imperial jadeite and specific rare diamond colours. Low-quality (i.e., non-gem quality) pieces, like all gem materials, may be sold for a few dollars per carat. In most cases, such stones aren't clean enough to facet. The highest price per carat ever paid for a ruby was established on February 15, 2006, when Laurence Graff, a London jeweller, paid a record $425,000 per carat ($3.6 million) at a Christie's auction in St. Moritz for an 8.62-carat ruby set in a Bulgari ring.

Christie's New York had sold an 8.01-ct. Faceted stone for $274,656 per carat ($2.2 million) less than a year before, on April 12, 2005. Alan Caplan's Ruby ('Mogok Ruby'), a 15.97-ct. the Faceted stone that sold for $3,630,000 ($227,301/ct) at Sotheby's New York in October 1988 held the previous record for per-carat price.

Sizes of Stones

Large sapphires of the same quality are significantly more common than large rubies of comparable quality. Therefore, it is important to remember that any untreated ruby of quality more significant than two carats is considered a rare stone, when looking to planning to buy high quality ruby. In comparison, untreated rubies of exquisite grade greater than five carats are considered world-class jewels.

Phenomena

Another thing to consider when you’re planning to buy planning to buy high quality ruby is that Asterism, or the star effect, may appear in the Ruby. Fine star rubies have six-rayed stars that are well-centred in the cabochon's core. All of the star's legs should be straight and smooth. A stone does not become valuable simply because it has an excellent star. Sharp stars against an intense crimson body hue characterise the greatest specimens. Sharp stars may be seen in lesser stones, but the body colour is too light or greyish. In addition, 12-rayed star sapphires are occasionally discovered. India is the primary source of low-cost star rubies.

Name

The name "ruby" is thought to be derived from the Latin word ruber, which means "red." Ruby is the sun's gem, according to Oriental religions. It is also the July birthstone.

Sources

The original ruby source was most likely Sri Lanka (Ceylon), but the Mogok Stone Tract in Upper Burma is the most famous. Fine stones have been discovered in Vietnam, near the Thai-Cambodian border, Kenya, Tanzania, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yunnan (China), and, most recently, Madagascar. India and North Carolina are also sources of low-quality rubies (USA).

Enhancements

Another thing to take into account when looking to buy high quality ruby is that in order to improve their beauty, the great majority of rubies are now heat-treated. The hue of the stones that result is constant. Many rubies, notably those from Möng Hsu, Burma, are heated in the presence of a flux to cure their fractures. Heat-treated stones sell for around the same price as untreated stones of the same quality in lesser qualities and smaller sizes.

On the other hand, Untreated stones command a premium of up to 50% or more when compared to treated stones of comparable quality for finer qualities. On rare occasions, further treatments such as oiling, dying, and surface diffusion are seen. To identify if a gem is enhanced, it is good to have significant acquisitions evaluated by a respected gem lab, such as the GIA or AGTA, as with all precious stones. 

Limitations

Since the 1890s, the Verneuil technique has created synthetic rubies that cost only pennies per carat. Flux, hydrothermal, floating zone, and Czochralski processes have also created ruby. Natural sapphire crowns and synthetic ruby pavilions are prevalent in doublets, particularly in mining locations. Synthetics, both rough and cut, are also frequent in the mines.

Shop from Iris Gems’ collection of the most beautiful ruby gemstones online and avail the best price for them.