Oh wise ruby experts.. what is your opinion?

[Rubies-R-Me]

Hello!
I'm still on my quest for a "signed piece" ruby ring and I saw this on Ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261150217027?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
The seller is very nice. The stone is not GIA certified but she plans to send it to be done. I would not act before I saw what it came back as but I would love to hear your opinions on the ring. I think the ruby looks light in color to me.. I don't know if that makes it more or less likely that it was treated. Is this a "fair" price if it's treated and then again if it's not treated?
Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[chrono]

It looks purplish pink and not very saturated. Treatment aside, I don't even know if GIA will consider this a ruby! Pricing will also depend on how lightly or heavily treated it is. Considering the $17k asking price, is the vendor open to having it sent to AGL instead? They can test it while still mounted for a slight added fee.

 

[corundum_conundrum]

GIA/AGL pink sapphire. But a nice light GRS Ruby!

 

[LD]

Run away as fast as you can, here are the warning signs ................

This is the blurb from the advert:

Stunning Tiffany&Co platinum ring with a 2.48 carat natural Burma ruby set in 18k yellow gold. Beautifully cut clean stone with overall rich reddish pink color. The ruby is flanked by two oval E VS1 (estimated) diamonds approximately .52 carat each. The ring is size 6 and can be sized. It weighs 7.1 grams. Fully signed and guaranteed authentic. Sorry, no box with this one. GIA certification can be obtained at buyer's request.
It will make a great engagement or wedding anniversary ring. Estimated retail is $30,000+

Here are my comments:

1. There is no lab report.
2. How does the vendor know the weight of the Ruby? It's set in a ring so it's impossible to be accurate.
3. How does the vendor know it's from Burma? Without a lab report that's guesswork.
4. The stone looks pink - so far more of a sapphire than a ruby.
5. Tiffany routinely sell heavily enhanced rubies so even if this is a ruby or sapphire, the price may be affected (negatively)
6. The vendor says the ruby is clean - this is common in heavily treated gemstones (specifically rubies and sapphires).
7. Why hasn't the vendor shown the Tiffany stamp inside the ring?
8. The vendor says it's guaranteed "authentic" - by whom? Tiffany won't authenticate and this is a pre-owned piece. I suspect this is the vendor saying they believe it's authentic. That sort of guarantee isn't worth anything.
9. So the vendor can give the carat weight of the ruby but then estimates the weight of the diamonds? Eh? Again, very specific about colour and grade of diamonds - who has verified this?
10. Suggests a GIA lab report (vendor calls it a certification - it's not) - can be obtained. GIA won't authenticate as Tiffanys but would tell you if the ruby / diamonds were treated. Even then I would prefer to send to AGL not GIA.
11. Estimated retail $30,000+ - in lala land maybe!

Please don't buy expensive jewellery from Ebay unless it somebody like Dover Jewelery or Diamonds by Lauren or somebody that is recommended (or at least known) on this or the diamond forum. Spending this sort of money on Ebay is very very dangerous. You have no guarantees.

Sorry to be so negative - I don't mean to be but I also would hate to see somebody lose money.

At the end of the day, this could be a naive seller with a genuine product but I wouldn't personally take that risk. If you really want a signed piece and a coloured gemstone, Tiffany is NOT the way to go because unbelievably their quality is horrendous.

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Hello and thank you all for responding so quickly!
I did have a lot of the same concerns.. however since the seller was going to send it out for certification I wasn't going to "get serious" until the results were in.
So funny that Dover Jewelry was mentioned.. I have bought pieces from them and I just love them!
I will post any updates if and when I hear back from the seller with the results.. could be weeks I suppose?
Thank you again dear ruby pals!!! Your opinions are gold!

 

[LD]

Just a note of caution but I'm pretty certain GIA won't look at the ruby unless it's unmounted. If you're going to ask the vendor to send it anywhere, please suggest AGL. They are the "go to" people for coloured stones, whereas GIA are for diamonds. Neither will authenticate as Tiffanys though.

 

[indigoblue]

Oops. Sorry. Posted without checking the facts.

But I do have a citrine/sterling pendant from Dover and would like to know if it really is citrine.

 

[LD]

Oops. Sorry. Posted without checking the facts.

But I do have a citrine/sterling pendant from Dover and would like to know if it really is citrine.

Indigo - citrines are very inexpensive and as far as I'm aware are not "faked". Dover Jewellery will have tested it in house I would think so it's pretty safe to assume it's a citrine. It's not a stone I would send to get a lab report on.

 

[SB621]

As someone who has purchased several things from Dover, including some fairly expensive items I would say that their estimates are way off. I have purchased a few things from them and when it was appriased the diamond weight was off, not horrible but enough that I fill that DJ doesn't take the time they need to really inspect each piece.

If you bought a citrine ring from them I would not worry about it being fake as citrines are plentiful and inexpensive in the market. However, if you were looking at big diamonds, rubies, sapphires or emeralds I would only make the sale be contigent on a lab report.

And their appraisals prices are ridculous that they use. But besides all I still like dealing with Dover. I think they used to have better pieces at much better prices. Recently I haven't been impressed by anything coming out of there.

 

[chrono]

Sadly, synthetic citrines are aplenty.

 

[SB621]

Sadly, synthetic citrines are aplenty.

seriously?!?!?! Citrines???? Well that is diappointing but I guess I should have known.

 

[LD]

Sadly, synthetic citrines are aplenty.

Well I didn't know that! Why on earth would you make a synthetic citrine? It doesn't make sense! Amethyst I sort of understand but Citrine?????? Thank you for clarifying Chrono.

 

[Barrett]

Great post, LD...you really picked apart that ebay ad nicely.

 

[Lee Little]

Yes, Citrines are often lab created like Amethyst. Some of the hotter colors, like Fanta orange do fetch a pretty price. Since hydrothermal is a fairly cheap way to make a Citrine, I can understand the labs math.
My whole post is off the original topic so I will take it another step off, I have never heard of lab created Smoky Quartz. That does not mean it is not done, I just wonder.
Back on to the original topic, I am not supposed to comment on another vendors goods so I will just say that I did check the seller with toolhaus and they have no negatives, member of ebay for about 13 years, averaging less than 100 feedback per year.
Best regards, Lee

 

[LD]

Yes, Citrines are often lab created like Amethyst. Some of the hotter colors, like Fanta orange do fetch a pretty price. Since hydrothermal is a fairly cheap way to make a Citrine, I can understand the labs math.
My whole post is off the original topic so I will take it another step off, I have never heard of lab created Smoky Quartz. That does not mean it is not done, I just wonder.
Back on to the original topic, I am not supposed to comment on another vendors goods so I will just say that I did check the seller with toolhaus and they have no negatives, member of ebay for about 13 years, averaging less than 100 feedback per year. Best regards, Lee

Lee, I did exactly the same thing BUT the one thing that concerned me was the sheer volume of pre-owned "Tiffany" pieces the seller had sold. Most didn't show the hallmarks and there was little or no authenticity. There were one or two that had Tiffany paperwork but the majority didn't. One of the biggest flags to look for is somebody who sells high volume of Tiffany.

However, I didn't say anything about the vendor because there's no way to know whether these pieces are real or not but the feedback, considering you can't check Tiffany with Tiffany MAY be a little misleading.

 

[Lee Little]

Hi LD,
Your points were all very good. A name like Tiffany is a huge target. Even if the hallmark is perfect and the paperwork also looks perfect, in reality one cannot be sure. One can likely get any hallmark stamp that they order here in Thailand as they are very creative and don't have any respect for a copyright. I have seen custom made documentation for sale here including state drivers licences with the high tech look, I don't imagine some Tiffany paperwork would be too difficult. Seems that the value of big names would shrink if people knew how easy this stuff is to get made. Best regards, Lee

 

[LD]

Hi LD,
Your points were all very good. A name like Tiffany is a huge target. Even if the hallmark is perfect and the paperwork also looks perfect, in reality one cannot be sure. One can likely get any hallmark stamp that they order here in Thailand as they are very creative and don't have any respect for a copyright. I have seen custom made documentation for sale here including state drivers licences with the high tech look, I don't imagine some Tiffany paperwork would be too difficult. Seems that the value of big names would shrink if people knew how easy this stuff is to get made. Best regards, Lee

Lee that's just shocking but unfortunately not surprising. Thanks for your insight, it really will make me stop and think before buying.

 

[iLander]

That looks like a purpleish pink sapphire to me . . .