What do you think of this stone?

[Wombats]

Hello

I'm still learning about rubies, and am not yet in a rush to buy. However I stumbled across this stone at Ivy New York and wondered what people thought? Tell me the good, bad and ugly. I'm attracted to its size, colour and shape, that it is no heat. I don't know a lot about the cut and if I were serious about it would be asking for hand shots and whether or not it has any filler. What else do I need to be wary of?

I turn 40 next year, so this is a project I have a while to work on and am enjoying the journey

Thanks so much

https://ivynewyork.com/collections/ruby-1/products/ruby-no-heat-1-40-cts

 

[Bron357]

Very nice but they sure are stingy with their photos - 1.
The report is excellent (well regarded) but it’s hard to tell if it might have some zoning or dense silk through the middle section or it’s just a camera angle. Can they give you some more photos?
Are you aware that they ship from Hongkong? Despite their name, that’s where they are located. So depending on where you are, no doubt there will be customs or taxes to pay, by you.
They do offer a return for refund within 15 days, however shipping and insurance (both ways) will be at your expense and I don’t know easy it is to get back the customs and fees you may have already paid upon importation. That will be between you and your Govt. for eg here in Australia, it is a nightmare to reclaim back the customs paid and here you don’t get the other processing fees back.
So it’s not a simple case of getting and deciding that in person it’s not as you expected because sending it back could be expensive and a hassle.
Nevertheless, it is a lovely ruby.

 

[Wombats]

Very nice but they sure are stingy with their photos - 1.
The report is excellent (well regarded) but it’s hard to tell if it might have some zoning or dense silk through the middle section or it’s just a camera angle. Can they give you some more photos?
Are you aware that they ship from Hongkong? Despite their name, that’s where they are located. So depending on where you are, no doubt there will be customs or taxes to pay, by you.
They do offer a return for refund within 15 days, however shipping and insurance (both ways) will be at your expense and I don’t know easy it is to get back the customs and fees you may have already paid upon importation. That will be between you and your Govt. for eg here in Australia, it is a nightmare to reclaim back the customs paid and here you don’t get the other processing fees back.
So it’s not a simple case of getting and deciding that in person it’s not as you expected because sending it back could be expensive and a hassle.
Nevertheless, it is a lovely ruby.

Thanks Bron. I will ask for some more photos. I'm in Australia - I believe you are too! Let me know if you recommend any places to source rubies domestically here

I think I will ask for some more photos.

Cheers

 

[Wombats]

Can I ask, what do you think of the price? Is there a rule of thumb here for rubies?

Thanks again

 

[Bron357]

Hi fellow Aussie!
Decent gems here in Australia are a bit like hens teeth. It’s still really unusual here for a consumer to buy a loose gem. 99% go to their jeweller with a briefcase full of money for a ring, say what they’d like ... magic happens... here it is and I’ll be taking that briefcase.
Then if you buy a loose gem be prepared for distain and critical comments “ooooo, this isn’t a good colour, this isn’t a good shape, you should have bought off me” followed by “we don’t normally set gems bought elsewhere and we will take no responsibility for any damage done during setting (and seeing as I didn’t sell you this gem be prepared for it to chip or disintegrate).
With rubies you have to be especially careful. The current synthethic version is really good, they are now making them with natural looking inclusions! This is apart from heat treatment (which is acceptable) to heating with Beryllium present (not acceptable and impossible to detect without specialized gemmological tools) and heated, bleached and glass filled (really really unacceptable).
You need a reputable vendor AND a report from a recognised lab.
Do not trust any lab report from India, Thailand, China etc as some of those “certificates” are as fake as their rubies.
Hope this helps.

 

[Wombats]

Thanks so much Bron

If anyone else has some feedback, please feel free to chime in

Thanks again

 

[Burmesedaze]

@Seaglow corrected me before that Lotus Gemology based in Bangkok specialises only in corundums and spinel and ranks up there with the rest http://www.lotusgemology.com

I like the colour on the screen which is an open red and not too dark. But reds and pinks are very tricky to capture on photos and videos so the more of them under different lighting, the better.

While the price isn't a bargain, it's not too bad for a commercial site.

 

[Burmesedaze]

What Bron pointed out about jewellers dissing stones not purchased from them is TOTALLY TRUE. In possibly every single country that has jewellers!

 

[Wombats]

Thanks Burmesedadze I've requested some more information, so I'll see what I hear back.

 

[Bron357]

Lotus Gemology is highly regarded, I was mainly referring to those plastic coated, credit card sized “lab reports” that accompany “Rubies” sold on eBay and with some sellers on Etsy.