best place to find a loose ruby?

[oldmancoyote]

Date: 1/4/2009 5:42:12 PM
Author: Harriet

Date: 1/4/2009 5:02:35 PM
Author: AGBF
If Harriet and I were there with you, we''d be dialling the phone and handing you the receiver together! And we are purists and connoisseurs! Who else around here lusts after Buccellati besides Harriet and me?


Deborah

Deb, wanna come with me to the Miami show?

I do.

I do. (well, I wish I could)


benell: it depends on your definition of "quite pretty". I''d call this http://www.cherrypicked.com/Gallery/Score.aspx?ItemID=996 quite pretty, and it''s less than $4k/ct. It may be heated, but with a Guebelin report it''s unlikely to be anything else than what it says.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 1/4/2009 5:55:10 PM
Author: oldmancoyote

You are totally in a class by yourself, oldmancoyote. I wouldn''t have dreamed of lumping Harriet and myself in with a pro like you! You are probably on a first name basis with the Buccellati designers and could identify all the techniques they ever used in the fabrication of their jewelry!


Deborah

 

[Harriet]

Date: 1/4/2009 5:50:18 PM
Author: AGBF

Date: 1/4/2009 5:42:12 PM
Author: Harriet

Deb, wanna come with me to the Miami show?

I am sure I cannot break free, Harriet, but for the sake of argument...when is it?


Deb

I think it starts on Jan 22.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 1/4/2009 6:01:53 PM
Author: AGBF

You are totally in a class by yourself, oldmancoyote. I wouldn''t have dreamed of lumping Harriet and myself in with a pro like you! You are probably on a first name basis with the Buccellati designers and could identify all the techniques they ever used in the fabrication of their jewelry!

He may even be one of them!

 

[RNgemlover]

here is a 1.035 carat unheated ruby that is really pretty, 1470.00. wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/8956

 

[marcy]

If you have a Shane Company nearby their loose sapphires and rubies can be very beautiful stones so you might see if they have something you like.

 

[wasp9166]

never heard of shane co, so id say i dont ,lol

 

[AGBF]

If anyone wants to go play, here is another site where one may do so. I decided to "take the $1,000 or under" challenge wasp offered and look for an oval ruby, my preferred cut, in that price range! I was able to find many...well, several...lovely, oval rubies for $1,000 or under on this site.


http://www.ajsgems.com/gemstones-Ruby-Burma-Ruby-2046340429.html




Deborah

 

[Harriet]

What a coinkydink! I just searched multicolor and came up with only one nicely coloured stone. It turned out to be BE-treated.

 

[CharmyPoo]

He has one more requirement - it has to fit in that setting he bought from Blue Nile.

 

[marcy]

Date: 1/4/2009 8:08:54 PM
Author: wasp9166
never heard of shane co, so id say i dont ,lol

I''ve bought some amazing sapphires from them and want to get a ruby from them soon. Good luck in your search.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 1/4/2009 9:22:08 PM
Author: CharmyPoo

He has one more requirement - it has to fit in that setting he bought from Blue Nile.

You are quite right, Charmy, and I knew that on one level... but didn't factor it into my search! Wasp, what is the shape and what are the parameters of the stone we are going to set?

PS-I think it was Abazias. I don't want Blue Nile to get a black eye over it .


Deborah

 

[Edward Bristol]

Hallo wasp,

Last year I wrote a page on judging rubies online that you might find interesting.

I separated them in the "Mild" and the "Wild" and I came up with some rules:

Buying the "Mild"
1. Translucent or opaque rubies in mild colors are dull in person
2. See an "inside" image with light falling in from the back
3. Avoid brownish brick tones unless the price is very appropriate
4. A pleasant color in a clean ruby will always have glow and luster, even if the photo doesn''t show it

Chasing the "Wild"
1. Highly visible in any light and exploding with color in sunlight
2. Color is king, even included material has its price
3. Camera separates purple, pink, blue/violet from red: Very Good
4. Camera shows a fuzzy ("living") inner structure: Very Good
5. Be wary of digital photo tricks or stolen images


Here is the full text-only:

"Ruby on Photo

To judge ruby on photo I dare to separate them in two main characters:

1. The Mild: Dense red glow with introverted, rich and earthy colors
2. The Wild: Flamboyant neon radiation in flashy and energetic red

With this short-cut, we will be able to extract some basic rules for an otherwise unmanageable multitude of ruby varieties.

1. THE MILD
Such a ruby can vary from fire engine (red-red) to rose red (add some purple) to an earthy crimson red (add some brown). Highest prices are paid for fire engine red, with rose red and then crimson following. Brownish brick red rubies shoud be very reasonable.

Pictures: Three famous ruby colors in mild hues
We avoid the term "pigeon blood" because its abuse has rendered it meaningless. Here are some rules when shoppping for a mild ruby on the web

Rule 1: Insist on at least one image with light in the back.
Mild colored ruby will easily hide inclusions from the camera. Make sure the image does not only focus on the surface of the stone. A mild ruby needs an image with light falling in from the back of the gem. This will show you inclusions with all honesty.

Pictures: Mild colored rubies in front of daylight.

Many images you see on the web are "front-loaded". They show only the surface of the gem but not the inside. This is done to peddle translucent, or even opaque, cabochon quality as facet grade ruby.


Rule 2: Mild colored ruby needs clarity.



Heavily included ruby in mild colors looks dull in person. The value of such cabochon quality corundum is negligible in comparison to transparent ruby (unless it displays a star of course). The scarcity of good material has somewhat lowered the bar to what is labeled as facet-quality ruby. A translucent or opaque mild ruby might look OK on the photo, but the stone will be boring in person and have zero luster. No good.



Ruby is by nature more included than, say, tourmaline. You will only get a "free of inclusion" if you have very deep pockets. However, some inclusions are wanted, while others are to be avoided.



Picture: Burmese Ruby with a rare "Free of Inclusions"

Though clarity is highly priced, some inclusions are priced too: Finest silky needle structures are delightful, shattering light rays into a hypnotic gleam. Thicker needles are interesting under the lens and do little harm to beauty. Less attractive, and hence price reducing, are whitish clouds, visible black spots, growth lines with weak color zones or broken crystals.

Rule 3: See inclusions but imagine glow and luster.



While mild ruby will swallow its inclusions, it will also hide its luster and no high-end camera can change that. However, even the worst cut ruby has luster as long as it is clean. Unfortunately, it is often impossible to capture this on photo.


Hence, in mild ruby photos, you need to be picky with inclusions but may be generous with luster and radiance. A pleasant mild ruby will never disappoint as long as it is clean.


2. THE WILD



Often described as "neon", "vivid" or "electric", these rubies may have a good deal of purple, pink and violet in them, yet their main feature is a radiant, almost aggressive red.


Picture: Mogok ruby in sunlight


Such a ruby will always catch your attention. It will stand out, even in a shop window loaded with other gemstones. They are the masters of the red universe. No other material (man-made or natural) can beat them. Some flowers come close, but of course they lack fire and glow.



Here are some rules when shoppping for a wild ruby on the web:



Rule 1: The three most important qualities of a wild ruby are color, color and color.



Ferociously red rubies are found in Ceylon, Vietnam and Africa, but rarely. Burmese rubies, on the other hand, are often on the wild side. (The craziest ones are coming from Namya these days.)


Wild Burmese rubies have been worshipped for millennia. They are the fame of Burma and are extremely costly. Most jewelers, and even many dealers, have never seen one. Most mortals actually never get to see anything but mild colored cabochon quality. Mild colored opaque ruby is the standard in jewelry. Others have shed many words to describe high-end rubies, so I won''t try any longer. Nothing beats the eye-to-lens sensation of a buster neon ruby, but a good image will get your appetite started.


Rule 2: Best wild rubies separate violet and purple from red



The magic of ruby comes from the ruby-only ability to mingle blue/violet into red and then set it aflame in radiation. Some pink and purple sapphires can do the same trick (see below) but red spinel never does.


In straight sunlight many good wild rubies will show themselves more like a blob of red gleam. Though this is a sign for a good gem, it is not enough. With light intensity reduced to a manageable amount, blue/violet and purple will separate from the red. This might look like color-zones, but it is exactly what you want: A digital separation of blue/violet from red (with purple and pink in-between) is the best indicator for intense red ruby.

Picture: A strong color can make up for a "Moderately Included"



For wild rubies inclusions are only a secondary concern. Color is king. A neon ruby can easily be moderately included without looking dull. Even in translucent material a neon red is still very attractive and many budgets will be limited to more or less included material. Translucent rubies are OK as long as the color is extra terrific and the price right.

Rule 3: A fine wild ruby never holds still on an image.

Something always seems to be moving in them. Often it looks as if a flickering fire or a hot swirling fluid is caught in the gem. As if there is something alive in them - now, if that is not wild!

Pictures: Best rubies have "inner life" and split purpel/violet from red

Rule 4: Beware of digital enhancement



Since color is half the rent, some are tempted to "improve" their pictures for the web. Avoid "super bargains", plastic-like hues, and check the photos background: It shall be neutral and real (the gem should not be "cut-and-pasted" into a new background). Light conditions shall be normal (mixed light, filtered sunlight). Tungsten light alone is not enough. Ask for images in different light settings and angles. One can''t easily repeat a faked or stolen photo in variations.



Pictures: Common digital tricks in ruby images



"Front-loaded" image hides inclusions; Pinkish background indicates digital color enhancement Extreme (artificial) hue for $199/carat too good to be true



Sapphire vs. Ruby



Regularly discussed is the line between pink/purple sapphire and ruby. Yes, pink is a pale red but only what is independently certified as ruby can be sold as ruby. All else is wishful thinking of the seller. Period. You may trust a third party laboratory to draw the line between red and pink. They are professionals, have no stake in the classification and will not risk their jobs for favors.



Rich purple or hot pink sapphires can be as extra terrestrially glowing as ruby. Here Ceylon is even better than Burma, which makes sense given that Sri Lankan ruby tend to be more on the pink side too. Deep neon purple or pink sapphires are terrific alternatives to ruby and are not that expensive, yet.



Pictures: Pink/purple sapphires with ruby qualities but sapphire prices "

I hope this page has helped.

 

[wasp9166]

im waiting for abazias to get back to me as to what size per shape stone will fit in that setting, im not holding my breathe tho, ill give them today b4 i call

 

[AGBF]

Date: 1/5/2009 11:06:28 AM
Author: wasp9166

im waiting for abazias to get back to me as to what size per shape stone will fit in that setting, im not holding my breathe tho, ill give them today b4 i call

I'm not sure you need them, Wasp. For what stone did you buy the setting? Was this an exact duplicate of the setting you were getting for the engagement ring? If so, it would be of a size to accomodate the stone Abazias was about to sell you. Since you know the shape and dimensions of the diamond in which you were interested, you would know what shape and size stone that would fit into this setting. If they sold you a totally different setting from the one that you were getting for your e-ring, I would think they would have worked out with you what you wanted! But I didn't follow the story of your e-ring at the time it unfolded. Can you elucidate?


Deborah

 

[wasp9166]

well if you look at the link, it has the shapes it accomodates under it..................your saying they sized the top of it according to the diamond i had purchased?

it was a round 2.24 ct if thats the case, i thought diff shapes of diff sizes would still fit, i just dont know the exacts



this is a reply email i got from richard martin

Hi,

It looks like the ring in the image is set up for a round shape. But below I see they say they have stone settings for the following shapes:

Center Stone Shape:

Asscher

Cushion

Emerald

European

Heart

Marquise

Old Miner

Oval

Pear

Princess

Radiant

Round

Trillian

You might contact them and ask for the sizes of the cushion, emerald, oval and trillion stones this setting will take (those are the shapes I can supply). Usually other shapes of heads (baskets) for stones can be soldered in by the supplier.

When I know the sizes that will work I can tell you whether I have the right sizes.

Rick

 

[RNgemlover]

speaking of the devil! There is wildfish

 

[Harriet]

You need the dimensions of the original stone because diamonds and rubies have different specific gravities.

 

[DiamanteBlu]

Date: 1/4/2009 5:02:35 PM
Author: AGBF

Date: 1/4/2009 4:43:36 PM

Author: Harriet
Do call him. I''ve seen his rubies, and they are beauties. Heat is not a problem, for me at least.

If Harriet and I were there with you, we''d be dialling the phone and handing you the receiver together! And we are purists and connoisseurs! Who else around here lusts after Buccellati besides Harriet and me?

Deborah

Me, me! My silver was the Piedmont pattern [ex got it in the divorce

- don''t get me started on the orientals and the rest!]

I LOVE anything Buccellati. You should see what you can get in the shop in Milano - animals, centerpieces, bowls, etc. - makes what is available in the US pale in comparison!

 

[oldmancoyote]

Date: 1/5/2009 7:10:15 PM
Author: Harriet
You need the dimensions of the original stone because diamonds and rubies have different specific gravities.

And different cutting proportions, too!

 

[wasp9166]

well, i doubt abazias is going to help , after all, i took my money elsewhere, is there a way i could measure the setting? ill have it in hand today

 

[wasp9166]

well, this is abazias response

The original stone was 8.34-8.41-5.18. The head will fit anything that is similar in size to that. If you choose to mount a different size or shape diamond the head will need to be replaced, but any Master Jeweler can do this without any damage to the ring.

 

[oldmancoyote]

Wow - an 8 - 8.5 mm corundum - you are talking 3 carat range... serious money if you want a reasonable stone.

 

[wasp9166]

exactly what richard martin said, think ill just try and recoup what i can on the setting,where could i try and sell it? id hate to go with ebay


ANYONE LOOKING FOR A 5.5 SIZE PLATINUM SETTING FOR A 2.25CT SIZE lol

 

[oldmancoyote]

You could try diamond classifieds on [censored]. Well, google diamond classifieds and you''ll find it.

But before you sell for the value of scrap - there''s plenty of lovely stones where an 8mm would be a reasonable amount of money. Or even a nice syntetic ruby - until it''s the right time to find a natural one? It just feels like it''s a waste of good money.

 

[AGBF]

Link to Thread About AGBF's Colored Stone Rings


I agree with oldmancoyote. Just for fun, put a blue topaz in there or a red garnet. If you want to take it out in 20 years, you can. In the meantime, for $40.00 or so, she can have a gorgeous ring with a natural stone. The link above will take you to a photo of four rings I had custom made with stones I bought on on eBay. One can buy lovely, real stones if one doesn't look for a ruby or an emerald.

How about a nice, red garnet?



Deborah

 

[AGBF]

Date: 1/6/2009 2:17:13 PM
Author: oldmancoyote

Wow - an 8 - 8.5 mm corundum - you are talking 3 carat range... serious money if you want a reasonable stone.

In looking over the thread in which I show off the rings I had made from stones I bought on on eBay I noticed that all four of the stones I bought were 8mm! Not being corundum, none of them set me back very much at all...and that cherry red fire opal was widely praised on Pricescope although it was bought for a pittance from an eBay vendor! (I do use eBay vendors with stellar feedback, however, and I would go to Richard Martin for an opal again. He supplied me with a lovely one for a ring for my daughter's sixteenth birthday present. Opals are his thing.) I would buy rhodolite garnet on my own on eBay, however!


Deborah

 

[wasp9166]

funny, garnet is her birth stone but she likes rubys ,lol

 

[Harriet]

Here''s a rubellite that may fit: http://www.paraibainternational.com/product_info.php?product=1700 Ask Adam if he''ll split the pair. One thing to note about rubellite. It''s a Type III stone, so expect inclusions.

 

[AGBF]

I just took a quick look at the garnets on eBay. I couldn't help but notice this one. I like rubies, too, but I wouldn't turn down this garnet .
Notice the price . I take that to mean that she can have a ruby, too, one day.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=350148582380



Deborah