Ruby performance in different lighting

[treasurehunter]

I have noticed rubies can perform terribly in some lighting conditions and excellent in others.

Please any information on this would be helpful

 

[treasurehunter]

For example some rubies seem more velvety or hazy in terms of their inclusions , how does transparency affect the ruby in different lighting conditions?

 

[chrono]

Some rubies hold their colour better than others under various lighting.
Those with fluorescence tend to look better under UV light (sunlight).
Most rubies look best under incandescent light. Fluorescent light seems to kill most coloured gemstones.
Very strong lighting can overcome a bit of silk or haziness but will not "improve" a stone that is translucent to begin with. If the silk is light and evenly distributed, then the ruby will appear to glow or look velvety under sunlight.

 

[treasurehunter]

I have a stone that 'glows' and is somewhat translucent to transparent.However it is heat treated so therefore the silk should not be causing this glow effect as it is heated and therefore dissolved , or is it the remnants of the silk causing such an effect?
It really lights up in daylight and stronger lighting .

 

[minousbijoux]

Not all inclusions dissolve when heated so there's that. But it sounds like you may have a fluorescing ruby which is responding with its characteristic glow in sunlight. If you want to check it, test it with a UV light and see how it responds.

 

[treasurehunter]

I did that when I bought it , thus i know that it has very strong Florescence, the crystal clear part of the ruby is actually windowing a bit however the part of the ruby with partially healed fissures or leftover inclusions from heating process is the part that really lights up when under sunlight .
I have another stones with amazing crystal and no inclusions , its alot more brighter or has greater luster but does not have that glow all through the stone, in terms of value Im trying to figure out this first stone as the inclusions on one hand dampen the brightness in some lighting but improve it in others

 

[minousbijoux]

Well photos would really help, in case you feel like sharing

 

[chrono]

It sounds like the partially healed fissures are scattering light across facets that otherwise might look too dark. This adds softness (aka glow) to the colour and helps spread the colour more evenly across the top of the ruby.

 

[treasurehunter]

Yes thats spot on Chrono.
Heres two photos as well , one with glow and the other with less glow, photographed in diffused daylight and then with an extra light to get the glow affect.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/530510031078264568/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/530510031078264555/

 

[treasurehunter]

Another interesting point is that in sunlight it turns a little pinkish but under the daylight lamp its red

 

[treasurehunter]

Any comments?

 

[Roger Dery]

Any comments?

Sure...
Research "metamerism in gemstones". It has been discussed ad nauseam within the trade. For those of you who may remember Colored Stone Magazine, there were articles and follow up comments by trade members. And, I believe the fabled Richard Hughes published about it and may have it on his website.

Hope you find this useful.

 

[velouriaL]

I have a opaque, silky ruby that I bought when I was a teenager. I still like wearing it to the nail salon because it just glows supernaturally under the LED lamp.

 

[minousbijoux]

Its so funny that after a while we know where the best lighting is - the nail salon, the movie theater, the supermarket...

 

[velouriaL]

yeahhhhh now I'm a little embarrassed that Roger is providing interesting scientific information and I'm talking about the nail salon!