Can somebody help me find my perfect ruby please

[kay_thunderbird]

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!

the jeweler said he will send it to AGL but we would have to pay for the shipping, insurance, and whatever AGL charges. He told us that would be very expensive and he knows that we are on a tight budget so he wanted to save us money by looking at the gemstones himself (he is a gemstone appraiser).
This could be dangerous, but it could also be him trying to help.
I don't know what the intentions are so I don't know haha
He said he will provide an extensive documentation of the ruby if we buy from him. like color, clarity, treatment, etc...
if he provides this information in writing, won't he get in trouble if he lies and we find the stone is different from what he describes?


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.

Kay - i would love to find an antique ruby ring of good quality. I love antique and vintage things. But I haven't been able to find a lot out there. This route seems more difficult than building a ring from scratch. if you know of a place where I can find antique or vintage ruby rings then that would be great

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.[/quote]

the only treatment I would be ok with is a low level of heat treatment. I don't really care how big the ruby is so I wouldn't be willing to sacrifice quality for size.

Thanks for your comments

 

[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!

the jeweler said he will send it to AGL but we would have to pay for the shipping, insurance, and whatever AGL charges. He told us that would be very expensive and he knows that we are on a tight budget so he wanted to save us money by looking at the gemstones himself (he is a gemstone appraiser).
This could be dangerous, but it could also be him trying to help.
I don't know what the intentions are so I don't know haha
He said he will provide an extensive documentation of the ruby if we buy from him. like color, clarity, treatment, etc...
if he provides this information in writing, won't he get in trouble if he lies and we find the stone is different from what he describes?


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.

Kay - i would love to find an antique ruby ring of good quality. I love antique and vintage things. But I haven't been able to find a lot out there. This route seems more difficult than building a ring from scratch. if you know of a place where I can find antique or vintage ruby rings then that would be great

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.

the only treatment I would be ok with is a low level of heat treatment. I don't really care how big the ruby is so I wouldn't be willing to sacrifice quality for size.

Thanks for your comments [/quote]


I'm pretty sure you know this but treatments can't be identified by a jeweller with a loupe. You can't see Be diffusion or test for it outside a lab. Unless you're incredibly talented you might miss the clues for filling and a host of other treatments. Even if you suspect filling for example, you have no way of knowing how invasive/level of filling there is. That's just an example but this is why for Rubies and Sapphires (and for any relatively expensive purchase) it is very wise to get a lab report. They can put the gemstone through tests that are impossible for a jeweller to do. The equipment to do this is very rarely seen outside labs AND only some labs have them! For example, some labs absolutely can't test for Be. Your budget is a healthy one - it doesn't make sense not to spend the extra and get a lab report. If you rely on your jeweller and he gets it wrong, you could end up paying $3,000 for a ruby only worth $300. That's not a risk I would be willing to have. Also, if you insure the gem/ring, you then have a document that states exactly what it is, rather than get into a protracted argument at a later date.

 

[chrono]

I'm with LD on this one. Some testing requires more than a loupe and I don't know if he is experienced enough to be able to fully understand what he's seeing. Ruby is THE most heavily and commonly treated gemstone which I would absolutely want an AGL memo on.
http://www.aglgemlab.com/services/FastTrack.aspx
The $55 brief is likely all you need and shipping should be no more than $25. I'm concerned that the jeweller is feeding you misinformation because he's not up to date on labs and costs and / or he trying to dissuade you from having it sent off.

 

[Upgradable]

I'm eager to hear if the OP has any further info. Kay?

 

[Indylady]

Also looking forward to hearing back!

 

[kay_thunderbird]

Hey yall!

ok so the jeweler never sent a picture of the ruby but he emailed back about the question I had about him being able to detect treatments in his lab and he said he can detect all treatments. Also his gemstone dealer guarantees all stones that are stated to be natural as natural. I decided not to get the ruby that I saw last week. I didn't want to make a rash decision and I wanted to take my time finding the best ruby I can get (based on my preference and not by professional gemologists haha) with my budget.
We looked at the stone through a microscope this time and looked at the inclusions which were minimal. it was a beautiful nearly clear stone for being natural. However, when I looked at it in sunlight again the color of the stone was faint and looked pink in color. The jeweler is now looking to show me a more saturated ruby, I told him I preferred a smaller carat weight for better color. The ruby was 0.94 carats, but I think im going to look for a half carat. I'll post again when he has more rubies to show me.

 

[chrono]

Thank you for the update. You are doing the right thing by taking your time. I've often said this but rubies are THE most highly treated stone and having the jeweller assure you is very biased. Do you even know what you are looking at through the microscope? Can you interpret what those inclusions represent? Are they healed fissures? How much residue does it contain? Can you tell if it has been diffused? Synthetics have inclusions too, just a little different looking. Can you tell the difference?

I'm sorry if all this sounds scary but rubies are difficult to purchase. You are spending a lot of money and I want to help make sure you get the best for your hard earned money. Trust but verify. I would insist on verification by a reputable independent third party who goes not stand to gain financially from this sale.

 

[kay_thunderbird]

Thanks chrono! after I find a ruby I truly love I will definately send it to get it certified. I don't want to spend money on a stone that I am not 100% certain about. Right now im just in the process of falling in love with a ruby...grueling process but at the end hopefully its worth it! haha

I'm also kind of feeling guilty about spending so much of my boyfriends money that I have been considering maybe just finding a used ring on ebay haha....so that I can save his hard earned money for something we both can share, like a house.....

What do yall think about rings on ebay? My only concern is a lot of the rings don't come with any certification so it's a toss up if your truly buying what they are stating and again they'll probably not be able to tell you about treatments...

I don't know, its just a thought haha

 

[Starzin]

What do yall think about rings on ebay? My only concern is a lot of the rings don't come with any certification so it's a toss up if your truly buying what they are stating and again they'll probably not be able to tell you about treatments...

Kay the same things apply. Ask if it has a lab report (though they will usually state if it has). Check the return policy - is there enough time for you to send the ring to AGL for a gem brief? Is there a re-stocking fee?

Negotiate the sale contingent on the AGL confirming everything the vendor says about it.
Do not just buy a ring based on what the vendor says about it on ebay!

 

[LD]

Hey yall!

ok so the jeweler never sent a picture of the ruby but he emailed back about the question I had about him being able to detect treatments in his lab and he said he can detect all treatments. Also his gemstone dealer guarantees all stones that are stated to be natural as natural. I decided not to get the ruby that I saw last week. I didn't want to make a rash decision and I wanted to take my time finding the best ruby I can get (based on my preference and not by professional gemologists haha) with my budget.
We looked at the stone through a microscope this time and looked at the inclusions which were minimal. it was a beautiful nearly clear stone for being natural. However, when I looked at it in sunlight again the color of the stone was faint and looked pink in color. The jeweler is now looking to show me a more saturated ruby, I told him I preferred a smaller carat weight for better color. The ruby was 0.94 carats, but I think im going to look for a half carat. I'll post again when he has more rubies to show me.

Sorry but this would make me run a mile. There's NO way he can detect diffusion. Please bear in mind that only labs with sophisticated machines can do that and only certain labs in the world can afford to have one and use it properly.

For me, if a vendor lies (and categorically that's what he's doing if he has said the words I've highlighted above) then I have to ask myself what else could they not be telling me.

A clear ruby without inclusions or minimal inclusions can be a warning flag for diffusion.

I appreciate you want to trust this vendor BUT at the end of the day he's a vendor. He will want to make a sale. Don't mistake friendliness for knowledge/skill. (I'm sure you wouldn't)!