Help with some rubies

[Shijitake]

Hello all, I've been eying these two rubies for a while now. I was wondering if I'd be overpaying for them if I paid just over $600 total. I know they're not the best quality but I'm liking their glow. They're heated.
The pair's total ctw is about 2.80, and are about 7.50 x 5.50 x 3.50
The cabochon is just under 5 carats, and slightly bigger than 9 x 7 x 5

Also, this is from another seller. Just wondering if it looks real/natural to you?


Thanks in advance!

 

[chrono]

Depends if they’ve been fracture filled or diffused. Other than that, colour definitely catches the eye.

 

[Shijitake]

It says in the description no filling or color added. The seller's inThailand if that helps somehow. He also has gems that are GRS certified, and has two reviews, totaling 4.5 stars (one reviewer only gave 4 but did not say why he left out one star. Just positive words) if that helps too. I'm going to trust that they are not treated other than heat, as he says. 30 day returns.

 

[chrono]

These pair don’t have paperwork though, right? I’m more hesitant because ruby is very commonly highly treated.

 

[voce]

Yeah, just because he has other ones that are GRS vetted doesn't mean that you should take him at his word about these ones. For me it's no lab report, no sale, unless I'm buying itty bitty melee sizes for rubies.

FYI there are plenty of other vendors who sell in a range of qualities, from top end to synthetics.

Btw the one from the other vendor doesn't look real to me. I have no proof, except that I don't see inclusions, and the red is too perfect, like it has been photoshopped. If it has a lab report, it's a top color and clarify. No lab report, and I think synthetic.

 

[Bron357]

Heat only rubies of decent colour and clarity can sell for $3,000 a carat plus.
Heat treated rubies with residue (nice way of saying glass filled) and/or Beryllium diffusion sell for $50 or less a carat.
Man made rubies sell for $1 or less a carat.
So, $600 is either a great price or a rip off depending on what you actually receive.

 

[Shijitake]

Yeah, just because he has other ones that are GRS vetted doesn't mean that you should take him at his word about these ones. For me it's no lab report, no sale, unless I'm buying itty bitty melee sizes for rubies.

Just throwing it out there as a possible clue Are there ways to see if it's glassed filled? I don't see bubbles and I could try the scratch test in a small area. What's the lowest cost lab? He offers it as an option.

 

[Bron357]

Tell tale signs of flux / glass filling are surface teaching fissures which appear as fine spidery lines on the facets (use a x10 Loupe). In your photo of the two, the first photo, one on the left has a fissure showing on one of the facets. It’s through such fissures that the flux filling enters.
Beryllium diffusion is more difficult to detect, you need a lab report specifically looking for that enhancement.
In the world of rubies, you can be 110% sure that no gem seller is so naive as to sell “heat only” rubies for bargain basement prices. Instead, sellers are much more likely to act “innocent” even when caught out. The cost of simple lab report is around $85 per gem, so do you want to pay $170 plus insured shipped to and from a lab for $600 rubies? If they come back as treated the seller will go “oh, that’s a big surprise, I had no idea, don’t worry I’ll refund you (excluding shipping costs) after you send back the rubies to me”.
So that’s like $250 of your money wasted on nothing.
That’s how some operate, if they were just a heat only rubies, they’d surely get their own proper lab report and charge $2,000 a gem!

 

[Shijitake]

Thanks so much everyone! I was so tempted to buy those because of the yummy color and glow. I decided to keep the pictures for eye candy and save my money for a goodie that I know for sure is the real deal.