Can somebody help me find my perfect ruby please

[kay_thunderbird]

Kay, I've also found a chart that would be VERY helpful to print out and take with you when looking at rubies in person. This will allow show the gemologist what types of treatment procedures you would like to know about.

I love that they end it with the phrase Caveat Emptor!!! Buyer beware.

http://www.gemologyonline.com/treatment.html

haha Great Idea! Thanks!! i'll make sure to print this out and definitely take it with me

 

[Starzin]

Uppy: thanks for finding those enhancement clarifications. I just couldn''t read the Comments section (just below Treatment) which they cleverly cut off in the close up.

Kay: good for you in ringing the jeweller! Sounds promising, so when do you think you might be able to get there? We will be waiting with bated breath for your first report Take pictures of your favourites on your hand between your fingers please

I've just read their Qualifications page more closely and it would seem that they are a family jeweller with good and thorough education/qualification so hopefully they will be able to give you lots of lovely information.

I don't know that it's necessary to rock up with the list It's probably enough to simply state that as far as treatments are concerned, you are only interested in heated/unheated gems - no glass filling, flux, diffusion etc. Reread LD's sticky on New to Gem Buying and just get it straight in your own head and let Hannon's tell you what they have.

Colorluvr's advice is very good and you will see it repeated all over the CS forum - any purchase MUST be contingent on an AGL report (A brief report costs around $55 I think) if it doesn't already come with one. No exceptions!

By the way, are either of these 6-prong engraved settings close to what you had in mind? I've put the AJM one up in both WG and YG. Just trying to get a feel for what a setting might take out of the $3k budget. The Antique Jewelry Mall one is $880 and the Stuller has to be ordered through a jeweller so doesn't have a price on their website, but I believe from threads on PS that they're quite reasonable.

Oops! Forgot the linky http://www.antiquejewelrymall.com/

I've also included Timmy's ruby for eye candy You might like to read his search for it here https://www.pricescope.com/forum/colored-stones/choosing-a-ruby-t50718-90.html. I believe the stone was about $9k (in 2006!)

 

[kay_thunderbird]

Uppy: thanks for finding those enhancement clarifications. I just couldn''t read the Comments section (just below Treatment) which they cleverly cut off in the close up.

Kay: good for you in ringing the jeweller! Sounds promising, so when do you think you might be able to get there? We will be waiting with bated breath for your first report Take pictures of your favourites on your hand between your fingers please

I've just read their Qualifications page more closely and it would seem that they are a family jeweller with good and thorough education/qualification so hopefully they will be able to give you lots of lovely information.

I don't know that it's necessary to rock up with the list It's probably enough to simply state that as far as treatments are concerned, you are only interested in heated/unheated gems - no glass filling, flux, diffusion etc. Reread LD's sticky on New to Gem Buying and just get it straight in your own head and let Hannon's tell you what they have.

Colorluvr's advice is very good and you will see it repeated all over the CS forum - any purchase MUST be contingent on an AGL report (A brief report costs around $55 I think) if it doesn't already come with one. No exceptions!

By the way, are either of these 6-prong engraved settings close to what you had in mind? I've put the AJM one up in both WG and YG. Just trying to get a feel for what a setting might take out of the $3k budget. The Antique Jewelry Mall one is $880 and the Stuller has to be ordered through a jeweller so doesn't have a price on their website, but I believe from threads on PS that they're quite reasonable.

Oops! Forgot the linky http://www.antiquejewelrymall.com/

I've also included Timmy's ruby for eye candy You might like to read his search for it here https://www.pricescope.com/forum/colored-stones/choosing-a-ruby-t50718-90.html. I believe the stone was about $9k (in 2006!)

I think I might be able to go next weekend hopefully!!
ok I'll try to take pictures and post them on here
Both of those settings are very similar to what i'm looking for. They are lovely! The only thing i would change is i like prongs that are pointy, if you see the picture of timmy's ring that you posted, his prongs look pointy, kind of like claws haha, i just love that!
i don't think i'll have a problem finding a setting I like, the hard part is the ruby
Thanks so much Starzin!

 

[Starzin]

Good-oh! But don't relax, keep looking online too

Yes I was really just trying to find out how much of your budget we should allow for the setting but it does seem as though what you're after will be readily available under $1k. As for the claws, this is done during the setting, they all look like those pictures to begin with. You can just request they file them to a point (and sow a picture) when you get to that bit of the adventure.

 

[chrono]

Have fun at the store. I've visited BR several times in the past (lived there for 2 years as a child) but of course, never browsed any jewellery stores. Don't scare the poor people there with your list. Just go there with an open mind, see as many stones as possible, look at the carat size vs measurement to see what fits you best, general pricing, treatments and ask questions.

 

[kay_thunderbird]

Thanks for all the great info and help, yall are the best!!
I'll try to find out as many things as possible, and update everybody afterwards

 

[txgreeneyes]

I asked the question "red sapphire = ruby?" a few months ago when I came across an ebay auction for red sapphire.

Here's the thread:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/red-sapphire-ruby.178956/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/red-sapphire-ruby.178956/[/URL]

 

[kay_thunderbird]

I read another PSer's thread, corundum_corundum's and he's searching for a yellow sapphire on a limited budget like myself.
He mentioned a lapidary?
Is that a cheaper way to buy a good quality gemstone?
Or is this irrelevant to me? because rubies aren't a good gemstone to go to a lapidary?
I'm just curious haha

Thanks

 

[Starzin]

It's unlikely - but not impossible - that lapidaries will have a lot of ruby rough lying around. You could check the vendor sticky and see which ones currently have rubies on their sites and perhaps email a few with your requirements to see if they have something. Be sure to include a picture of the red you want.

 

[Upgradable]

What happened to our posts?

 

[Starzin]

Other ruby thread Uppy?

 

[Upgradable]

Oh, please help me. Getting old is not all its cracked up to be.

 

[Starzin]

Don't I know it!!!!

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Ruby rough is quite tough to find - most of the origin countries forbid rough export. So a lapidary has to buy a precut stone and recut it.

 

[Starzin]

Actually in my head (somewhere!) I knew that Probably why it hasn't been mentioned but thanks Lady D.

 

[kay_thunderbird]

ok thanks you guys, i was just curious

 

[chrono]

A lapidary is likely to be able to procure Vietnamese, Thai and African ruby but not Burmese ruby unless it is an pre-embargo stone. I think it's well worth asking them though.

 

[corundum_conundrum]

Yes Kay, do send out some emails to some cutters reommended in the sticky note at the top of the forum. All of those mentioned in the sticky are very helpful. Its actually not as expensive as you would think to work through a lapidary. They obtain a good bit of their rough at source (they don't buy through whole-salers like jewelry stores do and they often have less over-head) so you are often getting items closer to whole-sale prices. I would particularly mention Gary Braun since I think I heard somewhere that he may be trying to track down some rubies on an upcoming gem-buying trip.

gary braun
http://www.finewatergems.com/

 

[corundum_conundrum]

Its perhaps not likely that a cutter will have something, but the wider net you cast (online vendors, cutters, physical stores) the better your odds are at finding what you want. One raffle ticket isn't going to win it, but if you have half of all the tickets, suddenly you are in pretty good position to win something!

 

[erinl]

Did you see this ruby? It is the one on the far right I am thinking of...

http://litnon.com/index.php?page=view&cat=258

 

[kay_thunderbird]

Update

I visited the jeweler and he was a very nice old man
i saw some rubies. but most of them were very small, probably for wedding bands.
He had one pigeon blood burmese ruby oval (6mm by 5.5mm) a little over a carat that he showed me.
For our visit he wanted to get a feel for exactly what color I was going for.
He's getting more rubies this week to show me after making sure of the color.
He was vary knowledgeable about rubies and he said he will never sell rubies that are fissure filled, glass filled, etc.... because they will eventually degrade over time.
His store is kind of upscale, so i don't know about price. he said he can stay within our budget though.
I also asked him about the AGL certification, he said he can get me an AGL certification but that AGL isn't the best.
He told me there's a lot of controversy with AGL and he told me to google about it.
Sorry I couldn't take pictures, i left my phone at home
I have decided i want a ruby that's about 5.5-5.7mm.

Also, my fiance told me I can spend up to 5k on my ring because he saw how I was so excited about it haha
But I still want to spend around 3k only because I don't want to use up all his money...
seeing rubies in real life was so much fun!

 

[Starzin]

This is all very good news Kay! Except for this bit...

Sorry I couldn't take pictures, i left my phone at home

Aaaaargh! How could you forget?

However, it sounds as though you found a jeweller who does know his stuff and is prepared to work with you to find something you want within a (larger budget), which is wonderful news.

He had one pigeon blood burmese ruby oval (6mm by 5.5mm) a little over a carat that he showed me.

So what was the story on this one? Not right for what reason or wanting to see something different?

So who did he recommend instead of AGL?

seeing rubies in real life was so much fun!

Ah...it's starting...beware "ruby fever"

So how long did he say it might take to call something in for you to look at? Oops just saw that he will be getting them this week, so I guess you're going back next w/end.

 

[kay_thunderbird]

This is all very good news Kay! Except for this bit...

Sorry I couldn't take pictures, i left my phone at home

Aaaaargh! How could you forget?
sorry!!!!

However, it sounds as though you found a jeweller who does know his stuff and is prepared to work with you to find something you want within a (larger budget), which is wonderful news.

He had one pigeon blood burmese ruby oval (6mm by 5.5mm) a little over a carat that he showed me.

So what was the story on this one? Not right for what reason or wanting to see something different?

well it was a little over my budget and it wasn't exactly the color I wanted. Also it was an oval. He just brought it out to make comparisons of what color I wanted. More red? or more darker? he asked questions like that. He also showed it to me in different lightings, even outside the store so that I knew exactly what color that ruby was.

So who did he recommend instead of AGL?
he said stuller, gia, and himself because he is a gemstone appraiser and he has a laboratory inside the store given by the american gemstone society for his commitment to blah blah blah haha

seeing rubies in real life was so much fun!

Ah...it's starting...beware "ruby fever"
prettiest gemstone I have ever seen

So how long did he say it might take to call something in for you to look at?

he said he'll have more this week. we set up an appointment for friday afternoon to go look at them.

 

[Starzin]

Starzin: So what was the story on this one? Not right for what reason or wanting to see something different?

Kay: well it was a little over my budget and it wasn't exactly the color I wanted. Also it was an oval. He just brought it out to make comparisons of what color I wanted. More red? or more darker? he asked questions like that. He also showed it to me in different lightings, even outside the store so that I knew exactly what color that ruby was.

All good questions so that neither he nor you wastes time looking at stones you're not interested in. Extra good that he let you see it in different lighting!

So who did he recommend instead of AGL?
he said stuller, gia, and himself because he is a gemstone appraiser and he has a laboratory inside the store given by the american gemstone society for his commitment to blah blah blah haha

Stick with AGL would be my advice. I don't know anything about Stuller apart from the fact they supply semimounts, GIA is recommended on PS for diamonds (versus AGL for coloured stones) and an instore appraiser is not the same as having an independent confirmation from someone with no dog in the fight as it were.

Roll on Friday!

 

[chrono]

I would never get any verification from Stuller or the guy because there is a strong conflict of interest. Both sell gemstones and have less objectivity when grading their own inventory. This should always be done by a neutral qualified third party. GIA is a good lab but AGL is better. AGL had issues in the past and has been stellar since Chris Smith took over the reigns. Actually, if you google GIA and AGL, you'll read that AGL has found inconsistent and incorrectly identified stones by GIA fairly recently.

 

[kay_thunderbird]

thanks yall, I'll make sure to get a certification from AGL if I do buy from him.
Not sure yet what i'm gonna do. It'll be more expensive if I buy it from the jeweler.
but at least I get to see real rubies in person instead of on a computer screen haha

 

[kay_thunderbird]

ok i went back to the store and he showed me two round rubies untreated.

i'm sorry starzin, i tried to take pictures with my phone but they all kept coming out blurry. I didn't want to waste too much of their time so i stopped taking pictures after round the 8th try haha

ok he showed us one that was .70 carat but it was kind of opaque and dull.
the color was off (more pink than red) so I didn't even consider it. He told me he wanted to send it back after seeing it too.

he showed us the other one and it was 0.90 carats, it was close to the red color i wanted, i wouldve liked it to be a little bit redder but he told me that would be nearly impossible for our price range. But it was red enough for me.
It was clear and very sparkly. 5.5mm diameter. untreated, even no heat. round shape.
The price for this ruby was 2.5k

so do yall think this is a reasonable price?

 

[Starzin]

i'm sorry starzin, i tried to take pictures with my phone but they all kept coming out blurry. I didn't want to waste too much of their time so i stopped taking pictures after round the 8th try haha

he showed us the other one and it was 0.90 carats, it was close to the red color i wanted, i wouldve liked it to be a little bit redder but he told me that would be nearly impossible for our price range. But it was red enough for me.
It was clear and very sparkly. 5.5mm diameter. untreated, even no heat. round shape.
The price for this ruby was 2.5k

so do yall think this is a reasonable price?

Unfortunately Kay, you're asking us the impossible - to judge the worth of a ruby we can't see.

So it was red enough for you. What does that mean on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being your ideal colour?
Clear and sparkly sounds good for an untreated stone.
You were looking for round, 0.5ct or above and a 5-6mm diameter.

It's within your budget. Would you be happy to pay that if all these things were confirmed by an independent expert?

If so, then it's time to ask him to send it to AGL. Whether you ask for a brief report or a Grading Report is up to you - please go and read the explanations on their website but a brief report is considered good enough by most PSers to confirm that the gem is as stated.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you

 

[kay_thunderbird]

i emailed the jeweler last night if he could send me a pic of the stone. Ill post it on here once he sends it to me
sending it to AGL only costs $55? or do you have to pay for shipping and insurance. I heard that'll be really expensive.
i guess its an 7-8 out of 10 for my ideal color. The color is there, the redness, but its not as saturated as i would want. like its a medium instead of intense or vivid i think. so that makes a difference in the color i guess because it seems lighter than what i ultimately wanted.
but the stone is still lovely, i think i want to go back and look at it again because I'm already starting to forget how it looks like haha

 

[LD]

I've read the first few posts and then the last few posts so please forgive me if I'm missing something......

Your jeweller worries me by trying to steer you away from AGL. They are the #1 experts for coloured gemstones (GIA for diamonds). I would trust their lab reports. Ok, occasionally they'll get something wrong but they're not infallible!

In terms of your ruby - I think you know now that what you originally wanted is virtually impossible within your price range however there are two alternatives and I'm not sure if they've been covered in this thread (forgive me if they have):-

1. Why not try to find an antique ruby? You still have to be careful because stones can be swapped out of settings but typically if you have a good eye, you will be able to hazard a guess whether it has or not. The ruby may be heated but depending on its age it may not be Be diffused/filled/dyed etc. My very first engagement ring ( ) was an antique ruby flanked by two diamonds and it is natural without treatment.

2. I know you want a ruby and are prepared to accept light heat BUT have you considered Be diffusion? This is a stable treatment (unlike dyeing/filling) and you can get ruby red colour and also usually good clarity? Within your budget it will be easy and you could also have some change and increase the size of the ruby. By way of an example (ignore the setting) this is a 1ct Tanzanian Ruby that I'm pretty sure is Be diffused although I haven't bothered to have it checked out. The warning signals for me were the price, colour and clarity.