African and Burmese ruby flourescence in the sun

[JewelledEscalators]

Hi there,

I have an African ruby ring and the flourescence in the sun is pretty strong - it really lights up in the sun. But just wondered, do Burmese rubies flouresce even stronger in the sun than African rubies? Or is it ultimately down to the individual stone?

Here are some pics of my ruby ring, in different lighting conditions. I can't capture the color accurately, it's more like a vivid deep crimson red (bluey red not orange) during the day out of the sunlight (pic 1) and dark crimson red in incandescent light (pic 2), can be fuschia/light pink in sunny indirect daylight in a room (pic 3) and bright crimson red in strong direct sunlight when it flouresces very strongly - unfortunately, I don't have a picturre of this as I can't capture the color but have attached a photo of it in strong sunlight coming in from the window.

Would love to see others' rubies in the sun too! If anyone has both African and Burmese rubies, would also be great to see a comparison shot of the two next to each other.

 

[Niffler75]

@JewelledEscalatorsPlease Hi, absolutely beautiful ring. Yes I think there is a difference between rubies from different locations. Rubies formed in marble contain less iron and more chromium and fluoresce more strongly I think.

 

[JewelledEscalators]

Hi Niffler75 - thanks! Yes, I've heard that Thai rubies don't flouresce due to iron, though I don't know if African rubies are formed in marble.

P.S. I should perhaps change my handle name, it's bit long maybe

 

[Niffler75]

OK the GIA states 'rubies from Myanmar, the Himalayas, and northern Vietnam, typically form in marble.' Rubies formed on basalt have a higher iron content which dampens down the fluorescence!
I have a lab ruby (which I can't discuss here) but if you look at my pictures in the fashion jewellery section you can see the fluorescence! No way I could afford a earth mined ruby that size!

 

[voce]

Top left ring is Burmese ruby, bottom left ring is Tanzanian ruby, bottom middle ring is Mozambique ruby. Other two feature Burmese spinels. All three rubies are fluorescent (I have not to date fallen in love with a single Thai ruby), but I attribute the differences to the individual stones, not to origin stereotypes.

 

[JewelledEscalators]

>Niffler75,

Thanks for the additional info. Yes, I did see your lab ruby - very nice, I'd like to get one too in the future - the only way I'd ever afford a 5ct ruby either! Also, since I love rubies that flouresce, it's great to get that also in lab rubies!

>Voce,

Wow, thanks very much! You're lucky to have so many beautiful rings!
Yes, all 3 rubies do have flourescence don't they, it's hard to say which one the most partly because they are different colors, but the Burmese one looks a bit stronger? Or maybe I'm just thinking that because you told me that one was Burmese. Nice to see a Tanzanian ruby too - haven't seen that many, and love the spinel on the index finger!

 

[Bron357]

My personal opinion is you should buy the gem, not the origin.
Burmese Rubies are “fabled” for their hue, vividness and fluorescence. A top quality Burmese ruby is a sight to behold. And a price to make your eyes water!
That said, I’ve seen some very average Burmese rubies and some astonishingly beautiful African rubies. Thai rubies are formed differently and some, due to high iron, don’t have fluorescence.
The best Burmese rubies are generally “old stock”. The current mines don’t seem to be producing the quality of the past.
Same as Kashmir sapphires, fabled for their mysterious glow and vivid hue but these are hens teeth gems and mined out over 100 years ago. A fantastic Burmese or Ceylon sapphire can rival a Kashmir but again, it’s the name to many people moreso than the quality of the gem.
My wee ruby is particularly lovely (I’m biased) but I really think that it’s in lower light situations that the specialness of a Burmese ruby shines - and strongly.
In direct sunlight, my iPhone can’t translate the brightness it seems.
And don’t mind me putting it into the path gravel. Even at a distance and in shade there’s no missing the wee ruby.

 

[ChaiK]

@voce, which do you prefer - your Tanzanian ruby or the Burmese? In photos, I love your Tanzanian one. But in real life, the Burmese could be a really glowy gem. Thank you for your thoughts.

 

[JewelledEscalators]

>Bron357

Yes, I agree, in the end, what counts is how beautiful that individual ruby is - I'd never buy one based on where it's from as opposed to what it looks like. Yours is a stunner, even amongst the gravel, it stands out - I have a Tanzanian spinel (the one in my profile pic) that also is like that, stands out from a distance even in low light. But in strong direct sun, the burning red flourescence of the ruby is...special. I'd love to see your ruby in real life - must be amazing! Will you set it in a ring in the future?

 

[JewelledEscalators]

>ChaiK,

I saw your giant ruby ring (with a matched pendant) in another thread - wow, what a beauty, I think that one was Burmese.

 

[voce]

@ChaiK if I had to pick one, I'd pick the Tanzanian ruby. The Burmese one is nice but too pinkish, and I myself prefer a outer red. Despite fluorescence, I value the color more.

I consider the Burmese ruby I have more typical color than top color for Burma, while the Tanzanian ruby in my opinion is a top color for Tanzania. I once compared my Tanzanian ruby to a loose pigeon blood Burmese ruby and found the color tone to be identical. My Tanzanian ruby has inclusions, but in bright sunlight it's silky enough that you can't see the inclusions without magnification. Even though it had less fluorescence compared to the Burmese ruby under low lighting, when I see this bright red without pink, it just always gets me!


Untouched photo was taken with a Google Pixel phone. The phone did not capture the slight blue in it that makes it resemble the Burmese top color imo.

 

[Niffler75]

I like tanzanian rubies like @voce. I have some very small winza rubies from Tanzania and they are beautiful.
This source is now mined out but you do occasionally see material on the market. I will post a photo later.

 

[Niffler75]

OK here are my winza rubies!

 

[Aussiewen]

Isn’t the glow just amazing!

 

[Nick_G]

Tanzanian rubies can and do fluoresce. Here's three crystals found in a lot of gem rough. The smallest crystal is from Winza, the other two are from Morogoro:


I've attached a pic showing the response in LWUV. The Morogoro crystals are a more vibrant glowy pink than the Winza specimen and show more intense fluorescence.