I found the ruby I always wanted

[Shijitake]

I used to love jolly ranchers. Along with gushers, they look like gems and they tasted good. I only ate the red jolly ranchers too XD

 

[MamaBess]

Catch me while I faint...…. I LOVE it!

 

[LemonMoonLex]

It does look like pomegranat hard candy, yum!

When can we expect all of the handshots?
So I can remember to come back here!
I have a feeling that it'll look even more lovely in person!

 

[Shijitake]

Sorry for taking so long! I forgot it may not look the same in person and it made me nervous that it's not the ruby I've always wanted. I only just got it yesterday and it's a nightmare trying to capture its color. It's a deep red color, and looks black in the room I'm staying in. But in other lighting it's a deep red wine color. Looks like a stone that will need a lot of light to show its redness. I'm going to take some shots with my SLR tonight and wait for a sunny shot tomorrow.
all these except the ones in my car have flash and makes my skin look lighter than it is.

It's hard not to dirty it up with skin oil without a gem tweezer

with my pad



cloudy day no flash

cloudy with flash

cloudy with flash

cloudy with flash, my hand looks lighter than it is. You can see how dark it is even with flash

 

[kindred]

How do you feel about the color?

 

[peacechick]

Which photos were taken in your car with sunlight? I feel that indoor conditions are not the best for looking at gemstones. You need to be by a window, or ideally outside in the shade.

 

[2Neesers]

It’s a beautiful ruby! Do you love it? It would be great if stones could look their very best 100% of the time like they do in their glamour shots, but in reality, sadly they just don’t. I think it’s important though that you like the stone in all lighting conditions and love the stone when it looks it’s very best. Your pad sapphire looks amazing btw!

 

[princessandthepear]

I think part of why it looks dark to you is because it is an emerald cut instead of an oval or cushion. Emerald cuts are usually deeper and tend to concentrate the body color. Do you love the color? Do you love the ruby in most lighting conditions? If you keep it will you halo it?

 

[Bron357]

One thing I’ve noticed about rubies is that the Burmese ones have a different and stronger “glow” no matter the lighting conditions.
They have more chromium than those from Mozambique (and other areas) where the higher iron content quenches the fluorescence slightly.
I think your ruby is quite dark though a solid red colour. It will “darken” more when set as all gems do.
I don’t think it’s likely you’ll find a ruby that looks fabulous in all lighting conditions and definately inside with low light is the most unflattering.
Of course gems when advertised by vendors tend to have had the lighting “optimized” - that’s the best way to show off a gem!

 

[Shijitake]

peacechick, the last four are in my car. I guess all the pictures have flash except the first one in the car.

2Neezers, about the pad, thanks! It's actually pinker and more saturated in person. It doesn't help that my skin color itself is sort of peachy and cancels out some of its color. I wasn't too fond of the off-center culet, but its color and sparkle made me not want to let go.

As for do I love it/its color... I'm not sure yet. Normally when I first see something all I see are flaws. My pad won me over 2-3 weeks after I got it. The color is nice, and I like that it's even, but it's dark and needs a lot of light to show off that color. I thought the emerald cut would show off a brighter pure red color. The last picture is a bit dirty because of skin oil. Waiting for tomorrow, which will be partly cloudy. I probably wouldn't set this in a halo; I'm not really into halos. Unless that brightens it (but I heard it actually darkens it?) I am up for anything that will bring out its color. I wish it was a burmese ruby! My goal is to have one someday and I've already got my eyes on which one.

 

[Seaglow]

I saw the vendor’s listing and it was described as dark red. If your preference is a lighter tone with color in most lighting conditions, look for pinkish red. For the jolly rancher color, look for orangy reds.

 

[Shijitake]

I didn't think it would be this dark. Orangy red sounds like what I'm looking for. Most search options are pinkish or purplish though (Just saying)

 

[Bron357]

Excuse my terrible iPhone photos and it’s raining here in Sydney, but this is how Burmese rubies are different to other origins.
The smaller one isn’t Burmese and it’s a darker red.
The Burmese one, bigger one, is pinker (not as pink in real life) but you can see how with even just a fraction of light it “lights up”.
So if aren’t “feeling the love” with your Ruby perhaps you should sent it back and keep looking.

 

[Sunstorm]

I think what tone/hue of rubies is appealing to you is totally subjective. That said many people prefer a slightly pinkish ruby due to better light return in general. I am also a pure red person but that just does not really exist in rubies. I used to think a deeper red would appeal to me more, however, I tend to lean towards the bit pinkish tones that Bron showed in the pic too. I would love to have a pure red, that just isn´t that feasible...

That said your ruby does not look black at all. I am not sure where you saw that but it does lean towards a deeper tone. I agree with you that keeping it a while and testing it in different light conditions would help you decide. One thing with the more pinkish ones like Bron pointed out is that they do glow more even in dim light.

It is a very nice stone you chose and unheated at that but again the decision is entirely yours and yours alone. I am worse than you I sometimes take months to years to decide about a stone and wait until it inspires me. In fact my best CS I sat on for years because like BRON I also came across big parcels of old stock and I was simply not that into CS for a few years. Then decisions what to set and how to set took months. This is part of the fun though. Enjoy the journey!

 

[ChaiK]

Maybe, set it with white diamonds and white gold all around, but at the centre, the prongs holding the ruby and the underside, have it yellow gold. I did that to mine and it helped to brighten up the red.

I love the colour of your ruby. Lovely!

 

[peacechick]

I agree it’s a beautiful stone despite being darker. Still looks like candy, more of the Dark Cherry variety .

 

[Anne111]

rare cut plus great color plus unheated and good price, what more can you ask for? congratulations!!!

 

[chrono]

Don’t be afraid to return it if it’s not what makes your heart sing. If described as dark toned, I trust Brad’s opinion of it as he’s advised me away from several stones in the past.

If you do decide to keep it, go for a more open setting to let light in. Deeper toned rough lighten up when cut with fewer but bigger facets. That’s what a precision cut lapidary taught me years ago.

 

[AV_]

This is likely wrong:

Love left, like right - between these classic 'reds': WWW

 

[Shijitake]

Bron, those are both nice! I like the dark red one better.

Sunstorm, this is what it looks like in my guest room. And the room has three lights. I have to hold it under the light and move it around just to see the red. In other rooms it's a dark red. Keep in mind the photos I posted earlier used very bright flash within inches of the stone.


Thanks for all the support and advice. I haven't gotten the chance to see it in the sun, but in bright daylight it's a cherry red color (like a darker jolly rancher). I love that it's rare, good price etc, and I'm 60% on keeping it, but I'm concerned about its color showing up or not after being set (even if I did everything suggested). Rare and good price or not I could save for one that's blaring red. If I was richer I'd keep it without a second thought (where's the laughing face?)

AV_ I would take that entire row of red on the right and the emeralds in the middle!

 

[voce]

AV_ I would take that entire row of red on the right and the emeralds in the middle!

Same! Unless it's a budget ruby (like the one I bought from Precision Gem), I prefer a pure red hue over pinkish red. I couldn't be sure until I got my itsy bitsy neon red spinels, but I still prefer my vivid red ruby to the neon red spinels.

I'm glad to hear you love your pad. Up to you whether to keep this ruby or not. If you don't love it, don't keep it and wait for the right one. From my own experience I think you'll be glad you did, when you find the one.

 

[peacechick]

Do you think you would be happier with a ruby like this? It’s from Finewater Gems, very clean, heated only and no other treatments.

 

[Maisie]

It sounds to me that this isn’t the stone for you. I think you would be better off returning it and keep on looking. Your dream stone is out there. Don’t settle for something you don’t love.

 

[Bron357]

You don’t seem to love it so perhaps you should return it.
This is what I think you should look for, this one is spoken for.
This is outside, no sun, overcast and raining and with my iPhone.

 

[Sunstorm]

Sigh...like @voce I always said the same, that I wanted a pure red ruby. However, reality set in. Sure you can find one if you have the wallet; that color, clarity and glow together in an unheated will command high auction prices. Rubies are very expensive today and prices are not expected to go down. If you do not have the wallet, something has to give.

I personally also went back and forth about what I like. Again it is personal. Generally I would want a Ferrari red stone or my colors in clothing are coral with some orange and some pink but I prefer a warmer red. This depends on your skin tone too.

What I found is that the example Bron is showing which has a pink secondary hue have much more of the glow and life and the deeper, darker reds can go very dark like OP described almost black which to me was too dark.

Other examples like the one @peacechick suggested have a lot of orange or some would say even brown hues to them.

OP you just have to play with your stone, you got a very nice example at a good price, everything else is subjective. If you set it by all means set it so that a lot of light enters the stone. That would mean a very open setting in back, on the sides, no bezel, no halo. My personal choice for rubies is 18 K rose. But gold color of course is again personal.

My favorite CS are emeralds so I will take that whole row in the middle thank you! If we can only choose one.

 

[Burmesedaze]

I don't like to comment because I usually have differing views with much of what is posted. But in this case, I'd say go with your gut feel about the ruby. If the love isn't close to 100%, keep looking.

Personally, I'm not wowed by the ruby nor price. But I'm not the one buying the ruby.

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

Here's how I decide. When I set it, will it make me smile every time I put it on in the morning? Will I find myself glancing at it throughout the day because it makes me happy? Will I be excited to show my few girlfriends irl that get excited as me for jewelry, or will I start with the excuses, i.e., I know its dark/has a window/inclusions, etc.

I have lots of loose gemstones that I will never set, all because of those reasons. Absolutely none at a 4 figure price point, however. I would also keep in mind that although you trust the vendor you bought it from, if in the future you do decide that you want to let this one go to get a ruby that checks all of your boxes, you will have to get an AGL on it to hopefully recoup the purchase price (lots of variables there).

 

[MollyMalone]

* * * I would also keep in mind that although you trust the vendor you bought it from, if in the future you do decide that you want to let this one go to get a ruby that checks all of your boxes, you will have to get an AGL on it to hopefully recoup the purchase price (lots of variables there).

In her post #7, Shijiitake linked the listing -- which assured the purchaser that the stone would be accompanied by an AGL Gem Brief reporting the lab found no evidence of heat. I trust she did get the Gem Brief promised in the listing since she hasn't said she did not receive it with the stone.

@Shijitake , I'll add my voice to those who are encouraging you to return the ruby since it isn't delighting you (and it's chunk of change you can save-apply elsewhere)

 

[Shijitake]

Thanks again for all the responses! I got to take a look at it in other lighting such as my living room, an overcast and rainy (yet bright) day light, and very bright sunny day light but not in direct sun. It showed its red color and was brighter and brighter in each light respectively. It's starting to win me over. No idea why it looks so dark in my guest room. I feel like my heart wants to keep it, but I'm not too fond of the idea that it won't show its pretty red color indoors that well. And I don't really like "suspension" style setting (I'm too much of a worrywart and worry about the stone falling out). As much as I would love to show it off, I don't want to have to shove it in people's faces just for them to see the color.

But I have found myself grabbing it every so often and gazing at it for a few minutes at a time. I wish I had a tweezer so I can hold it up and see how it might look on a setting. I'll take some pictures and hope I can capture the color. I don't understand why the camera has a bad time picking up the right color but exaggerates the hairs on my fingers. I'll make a decision in a few days (will probably prime a tweezer too).

peacechick ,that one's a bit too orange. I like a certain one from Gemfix but it's another $1500.

That's a nice one, Bron, despite the blurriness.

 

[lilmosun]

It may look worse in that particular room because of the type of bulbs used. A stone can look totally different in incadescent vs flourescent vs LED vs CFL lighting. (I had to stop looking at my stones indoors when my husband first replaced all our incadescent bulbs with CFLs but I figured the money we saved on bulbs could help justify my jewelry spend Fortunately, he's now buying LEDs). With CS, most stones don't look their best in all lighting and the important thing is that they look good in the lighting where you will spend most of your time wearing.