lil' help before I execute on untreated ruby purchase

[nycgrowler]

hello all - came across the community doing some final research on untreated rubies. i have some knowledge of semi-precious and precious stones and have a small "collection." That said, i will be making my first purchase of an untreated ruby very soon. the stone is for an engagement ring.

so, that's a little background. why am i here? i'd appreciate any feedback that will help me ensure i'm paying a fair price, have not overlooked any excellent vendors, and am not misguided in the specs of the stone itself.

my lady narrowed down by her preference. of the stones she viewed, there are 4 remaining. they are all from the same vendor. i personally would have chosen differently, but no worries, i do have a favorite in the bunch -- the most expensive (of course).

All are GIA certified (no indications) and UGL certified (none) as untreated. at this time, i am not concerned with origin. they're not Burmese. i rounded the total price and price per carat.

MY FAVORITE
1.79 ct
7.92X7.72X3.32
VS2
pigeon
round
very good
Tot. Price: $7,350
per ct: $4,100

1.99 ct
9.03X5.87X3.86
VS2
deep red
cushion
good
Tot Price: $3,800
per ct: $1,900

1.89 ct
8.78X6.15X3.51
SI1
deep red
oval
very good
Total Price: $4,150
per ct: $2,200

1.08 ct
7.36X6.28X2.22
VS1
pigeon
oval
excellent
Tot. Price: $4,150.00
per ct: $3,850

 

[marymm]

Without photos it is just words - can't make any evaluation without seeing what the stones look like.

 

[minousbijoux]

Yup - pretty much worthless without photos and videos. But congrats on your upcoming engagement!

 

[nycgrowler]

 

[nycgrowler]

Without photos it is just words - can't make any evaluation without seeing what the stones look like.

thought the specs might be enough. attached some pics. can attach some others i took if needed. thanks!

 

[nycgrowler]

Yup - pretty much worthless without photos and videos. But congrats on your upcoming engagement!

thanks for looking. i attached some pics and will attach more later if these aren't sufficient to gauge. appreciated.

 

[minousbijoux]

They may be rubies in name only, as I hardly consider those red. They are more of a dark brick red color with bad cutting and questionable clarity. Personally, I would definitely pass on the two you posted - and still have no idea what the others look like. Have you looked at some of the recommended vendors, like Africa Gems or Pearlmans?

 

[nycgrowler]

They may be rubies in name only, as I hardly consider those red. They are more of a dark brick red color with bad cutting and questionable clarity. Personally, I would definitely pass on the two you posted - and still have no idea what the others look like. Have you looked at some of the recommended vendors, like Africa Gems or Pearlmans?

I am taking a look at the 2 vendors you mentioned now, but not, had not before. I want to avoid anything that looks purple.

The pictures I posted are actually of the same stone. I guess I'm going to expand the search again, so I'll just post the links to all 4 I mentioned. Do any of these look like a reasonable deal? Much appreciated.

https://www.gemsny.com/loose-ruby/1.99-Carat-Cushion-Ruby-RU16850CU/
https://www.gemsny.com/loose-ruby/1.89-Carat-Oval-Ruby-RU16074OV/
https://www.gemsny.com/loose-ruby/1.79-Carat-Round-Ruby-RU17322RD/
https://www.gemsny.com/loose-ruby/1.08-Carat-Oval-Ruby-RU16109OV/

 

[shinyrocks]

Another possibility might be Pala International (www.palagems.com). They are wholesale only, but if you know someone in the trade who has an account with them, they might be able to help you out. Last I checked, Jeff White worked with Pala some and could price/order anything in their inventory. That's been a year or two ago though, so you would have to check with him to be sure.

 

[PattyCo]

I am no expert on rubies, but I thought this one was a nice color.

https://www.gemsny.com/loose-ruby/1.75-Carat-Cushion-Ruby-RU16848CU/

 

[nycgrowler]

I am no expert on rubies, but I thought this one was a nice color.

https://www.gemsny.com/loose-ruby/1.75-Carat-Cushion-Ruby-RU16848CU/

thanks. it is very nice. i have been looking for deeper reds, but might be misdirected. the cut is also very good for the intended piece of jewelry. appreciated.

 

[nycgrowler]

They may be rubies in name only, as I hardly consider those red. They are more of a dark brick red color with bad cutting and questionable clarity. Personally, I would definitely pass on the two you posted - and still have no idea what the others look like. Have you looked at some of the recommended vendors, like Africa Gems or Pearlmans?

Africagems has several options i'm reviewing. Although Pearlmans seems to have few untreated and pretty limited selection at this time.

Can you help me understand the optimal color for purpose of value? I like a deep red with zero hint of purple, but a lighter red seems to be the choice of those in the know.

Also, is AGL the accepted tier-1 provider for analysis of colored stones? I have seen some posts rejecting UGL as nothing but paper - that's fine. What about GIA vs AGL?

 

[nycgrowler]

Another possibility might be Pala International (www.palagems.com). They are wholesale only, but if you know someone in the trade who has an account with them, they might be able to help you out. Last I checked, Jeff White worked with Pala some and could price/order anything in their inventory. That's been a year or two ago though, so you would have to check with him to be sure.

thanks for the lead on the vendor. i may have to adjust my search, as no results were returned. i'll look more today and see if i'm lucky enough to find a stone and need only an insider to make it happen. appreciated.

 

[chroman]

Not sure what you budget might be, but here's a couple more to put into the mix. They're not round though:

https://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/unheated_mozambique_ruby_1_55/10910/15761
https://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/unheated_ceylon_ruby_1_41_carat/10910/5430

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Not sure what you budget might be, but here's a couple more to put into the mix. They're not round though:

https://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/unheated_mozambique_ruby_1_55/10910/15761
https://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/unheated_ceylon_ruby_1_41_carat/10910/5430

The second one has a very nice color that translates to "ruby" for me. The first one has a color that I think most people will mistake for garnet. What are your thoughts on the first ruby?

 

[chroman]

LisaRN - the second was my favorite too, at least based on the hand shot.

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

Number one looks 'cleaner' but more orange.
Number two shouts 'ruby!!!'

 

[shinyrocks]

thanks for the lead on the vendor. i may have to adjust my search, as no results were returned. i'll look more today and see if i'm lucky enough to find a stone and need only an insider to make it happen. appreciated.

No problem! Happy to help. Here is a link to a search for all rubies in their inventory between 1.5 and 2.5 ct. It returns quite a few (hopefully this will show up correctly as a link. If not, you might have to copy/paste into your browser)

https://store.palagems.com/php/db_s...eces=&Origin_Country=&submit=Find+All+Matches

As mentioned, I can't see the prices, but someone in the trade could do it for you.

 

[chrono]

1. Looks garnet like
2. Looks ruby like but might also have surface reaching inclusions. I would verify first AND also get a more well known lab to verify.

 

[Mukti]

Have you considered checking this out? https://www.africagems.com/unheatedruby.html

 

[T L]

For those prices, I'd want an AGL prestige report.

 

[nycgrowler]

The second one has a very nice color that translates to "ruby" for me. The first one has a color that I think most people will mistake for garnet. What are your thoughts on the first ruby?

Hmm. I really like the first stone. The color and cut seem to be very good to me. This is the color issue I described . . . I like a deep red, but most seem to prefer or demand a lighter color. When I went to veiw my first batch in-person, I was very surprised by the "pigeon" classification of many rubies. I don't know, if I prefer a deeper red, and my lady prefers a deeper red, maybe the cost will be less on that metric and I can get something larger or near flawless or cut extremely well.

 

[nycgrowler]

Have you considered checking this out? https://www.africagems.com/unheatedruby.html

Yes. This site was recommend on this thread and I really like some of the options. Prices seem pretty reasonable too.

 

[nycgrowler]

No problem! Happy to help. Here is a link to a search for all rubies in their inventory between 1.5 and 2.5 ct. It returns quite a few (hopefully this will show up correctly as a link. If not, you might have to copy/paste into your browser)

https://store.palagems.com/php/db_s...eces=&Origin_Country=&submit=Find+All+Matches

As mentioned, I can't see the prices, but someone in the trade could do it for you.

Thanks a lot. I'm out of town right now and will be meeting with a long time family friend that is an expert and I can 100% trust. She might be able to support something I find on Pala. Appreciated.

 

[shinyrocks]

Thanks a lot. I'm out of town right now and will be meeting with a long time family friend that is an expert and I can 100% trust. She might be able to support something I find on Pala. Appreciated.

That's a great resource to have. Good luck!

 

[Barrett]

Both those rubies look...meh, to me. I am not a fan of them really.....not for lack of trying, though.
Rubies are neat, but with the demand for them and lack of good rough for cutting, makes for a breeding ground of fakes, frauds, and synthetics. Hell, you can't even touch one practically, without having to get a lab report just for your peace of mind, ya know.
Why not head a different direction? Red spinel is the stone for this new era of gem buyers.
It's only one notch below ruby in hardness, it's a little more bang for your buck, in terms of size, quality, etc.
Those rubies won't sparkle and catch the eye of those nearby, but the spinel will.

 

[Barrett]

Don't let me dissuade you, though. I got a red beryl years ago, then tested it at AGL, to find out it was a leadglass filled ruby instead. I have been bitter about rubies ever since...LOL

The ladies and gents on this forum are as knowledgeable a group as you will find.
P.S. The term "precious" and "semi-precious", are antiquated verbiage, not applicable in today's market.

 

[Barrett]

also....these spinel are Burmese in origin. That will cover your want for a Burmese gemstone!

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

Spinel one: Window, is it?
Spinel two: Very dark, isn't it?
As for the rubies: Why not ask for a side-be-side image? Always interesting to see.