This Ruby Yes or No?

[leukolenos]

That’s really interesting and helpful @T L - thank you.

Thanks for the tip @pregcurious - I’m visiting DC soon so will be sure to visit the museum to check them out!

I sympathize with the OP because I do think it’s difficult to see lots of rubies for most people without incurring great expense. Luckily for her it seems she has somewhere close to view numerous stones. It’s pretty much $100+ just for shipping as you all know, so I’m hesitant to even try some out.

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

My avatar shows a small Winza ruby that I don’t have a certificate for. I love this pinkish red that is not overly dark. This may not be the trade standard like pigeon’s blood, but it’s what I like. Pick what you like.

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

Fluorescence (LW) in some gems is absolutely overrated and unfortunately misleading if we talk about quality.

A treated Mong Hsu ruby, a heated Mogok ruby, an afghan or mozambique ruby, a vivid fuchsia sapphire, a medium pink sapphire- they all show a strong red fluorescence.

Same in pink to red spinel.

It WAS ( and is if you find one) typical for Thai ruby with higher iron content and a brownish red color.

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It is for example a good help to seperate light green Grandite from Mali and Merelani Mint with a slightly yellow mintgreen ( if you still want to call them Merelani M. ) course Merelani M. fluorescence orange, Mali is inert.

Thanks for the tip! I had to try this today with my Merelani mint and Mali garnets side by side and it is true. Gemstones are so much fun!!!

 

[MollyMalone]

The only lab that uses purely objective and logical methods to determine color, tone and saturation is AGL. I believe GRS and other labs are more geared at helping vendors sell stones with their metaphors, and oversimplified and generous color grading.

Just as a FYI for others: only AGL's top-of-the-line Prestige Report -- the Full Grading one (which aren't all that common) -- provides any kind of analytical detail re color. AGL's other Prestige Reports and its Gem Brief simply state a basic color description, like blue or red or pinkish-red.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Another thought... be weary of stones with a weight ending in 0.01. Like my Burmese ruby that was 2.01. It was surely cut for weight.

Pretty much every stone is cut for weight and face up size. While cutting, it's not possible to know the weight of the stone and make adjustments so that it finished up just over a size like 2.01 ct. The stone is held on a dop stick with a glob of wax, so the weight of the stone is not known during cutting. The finished weight is only know once all the cutting and polishing is complete and the stone is removed from the dop, all the wax cleaned off and weighed.

Cutting a stone is lesson in compromises. Do you sacrifice weight to make a prettier stone? Cut out a small inclusion and make a smaller stone? etc etc.

 

[Acinom]

Does this colour appeal to you? It has just been posted by @boerumbiddy in this thread and up for sale: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/somebodys-gotta-buy-this-stone.177156/page-115