Dipping toe in the Ruby pool!!!!

[JewelledEscalators]

I must say I am totally unfamiliar with Thai rubies. My "knowledge" begins and ends with Burma and Mozambique. I'm going to take a look!

You can find them in antique shops - a lot of antique rubies are thai, if they're not Burmese. These days I think they've all been mined out, but back then, it was quite common I believe. They often come in darker reds, but they can be very pure deep reds, very nice.

P.S. I think they sometimes call them Siam rubies rather than Thai rubies.

 

[JewelledEscalators]

I should add, not just antique, but vintage stuff. Googling it, it seems that they were quite common up until quite recently.

 

[Autumn in New England]

I should add, not just antique, but vintage stuff. Googling it, it seems that they were quite common up until quite recently.

Good to know! Thanks!!

 

[CaseyLouLou]

@Bron357 Spot on! This is one thing I like about GRS's ruby reports. They mention fluorescence. In my opinion, if a ruby does not possess strong fluorescence, it's a hard pass.

Gorgeous color to your ruby, @JewelledEscalators!!

Do hot pink sapphires also have fluorescence that does the same thing? Makes them glow like a ruby? The difference between ruby and pink sapphire is confusing.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Do hot pink sapphires also have fluorescence that does the same thing? Makes them glow like a ruby? The difference between ruby and pink sapphire is confusing.

Since chromium also colors pink sapphires, they can definitely fluoresce under long-wave UV light. My understanding is that the iron content must be low in order for this to happen, because Fe zaps fluorescence.

So the basic difference between rubies and pink sapphires is simply the saturation of color and modifiers. Some folks really love a pink-leaning or "magenta" ruby. I want to see the purest red imaginable without strong pink or purple modifiers and with zero orange or brown. The term "pigeon's blood," which has historically been used to describe the ideal ruby color, actually comes from the appearance of the bird's eye, not their blood. Little tidbit for ya!

 

[pearlsngems]

Do hot pink sapphires also have fluorescence that does the same thing? Makes them glow like a ruby? The difference between ruby and pink sapphire is confusing.

I have small natural pink (not hot pink) sapphire studs that fluoresce under long wave UV.

 

[CaseyLouLou]

I have small natural pink (not hot pink) sapphire studs that fluoresce under long wave UV.

Do you think that makes your sapphire more glowy?

 

[Autumn in New England]

Do you think that makes your sapphire more glowy?

Absolutely! And the reason for that is because the sun's rays of course include ultraviolet radiation. That's where you'll see the glow.

Edit: Whoops, you were talking to @pearlsngems! Sorry, carry on!!

 

[pearlsngems]

Do you think that makes your sapphire more glowy?

I assume so, but I have not noticed; I bought them for their color, and it did not occur to me that they might also fluoresce. But they definitely fluoresce brightly under the long wave black light I just tested them with.

I'll have to take them out to look at them in the sun first chance I get. That won't be tomorrow, as a snowstorm is coming in.

 

[demantoidz]

You can heat anything lol

Heating is done for three reasons: improving color, melting some inclusions (clarity), and flux healing.

Improving color and melting inclusions happens at low temperature (below 1200C), flux healing happens at high temperature (above 1200C).

Heating a star ruby, even at low temp, will most likely dissolve the rutile that causes asterism. So while it is possible to heat a star ruby, it makes no commercial sense.

I coincidentally came across some star rubies claimed to be heated and they still had stars. There are a bunch here. Learned something new.

Star Ruby Stones for Sale | JupiterGem

This rare and yet magnificent subset of Rubies is referred to as Star Rubies because of the phenomenal stars the stones naturally display. Each stone has its own character, with respect to body color or sharpness of its star.

jupitergem.com

A “silky” non-Burmese ruby is just an included ruby, and will not glow

What about this one?
Do you mean glow isn't as good/uniform/subtle & velvety from other locales?
Sapphires can be silky from any locale I think, but Kashmir and Madagascar are known to do it 'the best'

Finally found the prettiest ruby. How to set it.

I finally found the prettiest ruby.... I've been wanting an untreated ruby for some time but they are hard to come by for the price. I fell in love with this one. .75 ct. Kinda glows in the right light. I'm sending it to GIA. Whats your opinion on the color and what I can expect on a report? Its...

www.pricescope.com

 

[Rfisher]

Obviously trade ideal ‘silky’ that’s so coveted, is different than ‘a silky stone’ and then a ‘sleepy’ stone is different to that, then you have ‘muddy’ stones.

I do wonder about stones that exhibit silky or sleepy - but only in some lightings. Showing much scintillation in other lightings.
Is that shifty not as ‘ideal’ as being slightly silky all the time - or is that shift always there?

As to OP’s original question
(Kinda feel odd answering it to a trade person tho)
What I ideally prefer is different than what I’ll ideally budget for.
If size, shape, faceting are all equal -
I would give up super clear crystal and top scintillation for a color that’s more attractive to my eye.

 

[voce]

I don't think glassy or silky is a desirable trait in and of itself. If we think about glass, it's low RI and looks cheap and muddied compared to a brilliantly scintillating spinel or a diamond. I would never describe a top-quality gemstone as glassy. Glass-filled rubies are treated rubies, and has the look of heated with residues. So I respectfully disagree with @JewelledEscalators because I think that ruby looks exactly glassy, heated and treated...

There are no silky rubies outside of Burma, at least not the type of silk that gives the glow.

A “silky” non-Burmese ruby is just an included ruby, and will not glow

I also think this statement is misleading. Silk is not what gives rubies glow. It's chromium content with a lack of iron in the crystal lattice structure that causes glow. Silk is an independent characteristic from glow. Honestly, I don't think silk itself is what gives value even to Burmese rubies. Silk is correlated, however, to untreated status, as it is one those of inclusions that indicate that the ruby is unheated, so that is why you've seen it so much in the rubies you've looked at.

I think a desirable color and intense glow are what you should look for in any ruby. Looking like glass or like a silky red blob would be a personal preference because I don't think one is more valuable than the other in and of itself. Either heated/glassy or heavily silky unheated rubies could be more expensive (it could go either way depending on the overall effect of how attractive the ruby looks).

 

[JewelledEscalators]

I don't think glassy or silky is a desirable trait in and of itself. If we think about glass, it's low RI and looks cheap and muddied compared to a brilliantly scintillating spinel or a diamond. I would never describe a top-quality gemstone as glassy. Glass-filled rubies are treated rubies, and has the look of heated with residues. So I respectfully disagree with @JewelledEscalators because I think that ruby looks exactly glassy, heated and treated...



I also think this statement is misleading. Silk is not what gives rubies glow. It's chromium content with a lack of iron in the crystal lattice structure that causes glow. Silk is an independent characteristic from glow. Honestly, I don't think silk itself is what gives value even to Burmese rubies. Silk is correlated, however, to untreated status, as it is one those of inclusions that indicate that the ruby is unheated, so that is why you've seen it so much in the rubies you've looked at.

I think a desirable color and intense glow are what you should look for in any ruby. Looking like glass or like a silky red blob would be a personal preference because I don't think one is more valuable than the other in and of itself. Either heated/glassy or heavily silky unheated rubies could be more expensive (it could go either way depending on the overall effect of how attractive the ruby looks).

I think you might misunderstand what OP means. I think they mean 'glassy' to mean crystal-like, sparkly, no, @SapphireBomb ?

Re: my ruby - I honestly don't think you can tell by looking at a picture that a ruby seems heated and treated.

 

[voce]

I think you might misunderstand what OP means. I think they mean 'glassy' to mean crystal-like, sparkly, no, @SapphireBomb ?

Re: my ruby - I honestly don't think you can tell by looking at a picture that a ruby seems heated and treated.

Glass is not crystal, and glass is much less sparkly than a lot of gemstones, so I would never use glassy to mean crystal-like, sparkly. The point of my earlier post was to point out that a lot of people are not using the right language. Glassy often means having a glazed look, like something is coated on the surface; scintillation or brilliance of a gemstone comes from refraction, and is nearly the opposite of reflecting off a coating at the surface.

 

[Bron357]

Do hot pink sapphires also have fluorescence that does the same thing? Makes them glow like a ruby? The difference between ruby and pink sapphire is confusing.

Some can. This one is vivid and definitely has glow.

 

[SapphireBomb]

I think you might misunderstand what OP means. I think they mean 'glassy' to mean crystal-like, sparkly, no, @SapphireBomb ?

Re: my ruby - I honestly don't think you can tell by looking at a picture that a ruby seems heated and treated.

Yes, I meant sparkly. Scintillation.
Not something rubies are known for.
I am coming to the conclusion I like a little silk and, of course, color is paramount.
Still on the hunt….

 

[JewelledEscalators]

Maybe you should go by what you like in blue sapphires, if you are a sapphire person.

I’m generally not drawn to blue sapphires, even ones that most people here will dribble over.

Then I saw this and dribbled. A lot. Oh wow, now I can see what the fuss is about!

https://www.lotusgemology.com/image...review-2020/madagascar-sapphire-14.20-web.jpg

This might be linked to what I like in rubies. I love the silky velvety glow of saturated red rubies, so maybe I like the same in sapphires. Or maybe it's just a very beautiful sapphire

Looking at your sapphire in your pic, it looks like it is slightly velvety in look so perhaps that’s what you like in rubies too?

 

[JewelledEscalators]

@SapphireBomb, out of interest, what kind of colour ruby are you looking for? Do you have some idea as to size or shape?

Some of us here need such details to live vicariously through other people's gem hunt

 

[JewelledEscalators]

Some can. This one is vivid and definitely has glow.

Seeing the two stones next to each other like this makes me think how beautiful they would be as a toi et moi ring

 

[demantoidz]

Maybe you should go by what you like in blue sapphires, if you are a sapphire person.

I’m generally not drawn to blue sapphires, even ones that most people here will dribble over.

Then I saw this and dribbled. A lot. Oh wow, now I can see what the fuss is about!

https://www.lotusgemology.com/image...review-2020/madagascar-sapphire-14.20-web.jpg

This might be linked to what I like in rubies. I love the silky velvety glow of saturated red rubies, so maybe I like the same in sapphires. Or maybe it's just a very beautiful sapphire

Looking at your sapphire in your pic, it looks like it is slightly velvety in look so perhaps that’s what you like in rubies too?

Eye candy to convert you to the sapphire camp further (take the saturation with a grain of salt of course).

https://imgur.com/a/j4zniFW

Twinkle Miss Fine Gems on Instagram: "8ct classic unheat Intense Cornflower Blue Sapphire with GRS certificate So strong color and Loupe Clean#bluesapphirering #royalbluesapphire #gemstones #finegems"

267 likes, 12 comments - twinklemissfinegems on July 22, 2021: "8ct classic unheat Intense Cornflower Blue Sapphire with GRS certificate So strong color and Loupe Clean#bluesapphirering #royalbluesapphire #gemstones #finegems".

www.instagram.com

 

[JewelledEscalators]

Eye candy to convert you to the sapphire camp further (take the saturation with a grain of salt of course).

https://imgur.com/a/j4zniFW

Twinkle Miss Fine Gems on Instagram: "8ct classic unheat Intense Cornflower Blue Sapphire with GRS certificate So strong color and Loupe Clean#bluesapphirering #royalbluesapphire #gemstones #finegems"

267 likes, 12 comments - twinklemissfinegems on July 22, 2021: "8ct classic unheat Intense Cornflower Blue Sapphire with GRS certificate So strong color and Loupe Clean#bluesapphirering #royalbluesapphire #gemstones #finegems".

www.instagram.com

 

[SapphireBomb]

Maybe you should go by what you like in blue sapphires, if you are a sapphire person.

I’m generally not drawn to blue sapphires, even ones that most people here will dribble over.

Then I saw this and dribbled. A lot. Oh wow, now I can see what the fuss is about!

https://www.lotusgemology.com/image...review-2020/madagascar-sapphire-14.20-web.jpg

This might be linked to what I like in rubies. I love the silky velvety glow of saturated red rubies, so maybe I like the same in sapphires. Or maybe it's just a very beautiful sapphire

Looking at your sapphire in your pic, it looks like it is slightly velvety in look so perhaps that’s what you like in rubies too?

Your right.
I do like a little velvet in my colored stones
Here are the two sapphires I own
The antique Art deco three stone and the 1960-60’s Bombe cocktail
If I added another sapphire it would definitely be on the richer/darker side of the blue spectrum

 

[JewelledEscalators]

Love the sapphire bombe. Do you wear your bombe daily, or treat it as a cocktail ring?

Re: ruby, you could always buy a cheap lab ruby on Etsy and see whether you like the really clean look. The chances are, any natural ruby won't be as clean, but it'll give you some idea maybe? Even a clean lab ruby doesn't look sparkly to me, sparkly I associate more with pink saphire or very pink rubies.

 

[pearlsngems]

This is a lab ruby ring I picked up at a gem show. I don't think of it as sparkly, but this is what it looks like outdoors.

 

[SapphireBomb]

Love the sapphire bombe. Do you wear your bombe daily, or treat it as a cocktail ring?

Re: ruby, you could always buy a cheap lab ruby on Etsy and see whether you like the really clean look. The chances are, any natural ruby won't be as clean, but it'll give you some idea maybe? Even a clean lab ruby doesn't look sparkly to me, sparkly I associate more with pink saphire or very pink rubies.

Say I’m crazy but truth is I wear the Bombe with everything from bathrobe to ballgown!
Seriously it’s so versatile I wear it with jeans.