32 BIG RUBIES AND 10-20 OTHER NICE GEMS!!

[opwellness]

My grandfather left me some gems because he knows I have been an avid prospector and treasure hunter. He gave me 32 rubies and a bunch of other stones. There are some topaz, mystical topaz, a couple diamonds, a sapphire and a couple that I don't even know! I was wondering what they are worth and also if anyone knows where one can unload them, so I can finally buy a gold claim where I can use my gold screw trommel ALL THE TIME!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/adfm1a5p1eginkh/AAA8UgdG0pyF-1LXVjvdNwTha

 

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[allen_idaho]

I think your best bet would be to take the stones to a jeweler. Someone qualified to weigh, grade and price your stones. This will give you an idea of the total worth.

Then to sell them, that's the tricky part. You can try Ebay but your results may vary. If they turn out to be pretty valuable, you can try to get them into an auction. Or you can try to sell them to local jewelers, but that is a long shot.

 

[Flick420]

If those are really natural rubies, you have a small fortune there, If it was me id get them all GIA certified, and then try to sell them, having them certified will increase the value drastically. Some of those rubies truly have amazing color if they are natural, it also looks like you have a few aquamarines ( the lighter blue stones). Id really get a few opinions on them and get them certified by the GIA, do not just sell them to the first person you come across, if they are really real rubies i think you have a fortune there.

 

[opwellness]

I think your best bet would be to take the stones to a jeweler. Someone qualified to weigh, grade and price your stones. This will give you an idea of the total worth.

Then to sell them, that's the tricky part. You can try Ebay but your results may vary. If they turn out to be pretty valuable, you can try to get them into an auction. Or you can try to sell them to local jewelers, but that is a long shot.

Ya, that's what I did today. The smallest is 1 carat even, the largest is 13.8 carats and the average is 5.4 carats. The jeweler said I have to get them gia certified but just the large one alone, he would guess is about 100k.
He said they are definitely natural and they all read a 9/10 on his little hardness reader which is consistent with corundum. I am pretty stoked to say the least!!! He also said selling them would be tricky but if they were certified, it would make it much easier.

 

[opwellness]

158.8 carats I think was the total, maybe more, I forget.

 

[unresponsivebeevictim]

You definitely want to send one in to GIA for testing! Where did your grandfather get these rubies? Did the jeweler test the RI (refractive index) and tell you anything about the inclusions after looking at the stones under a loupe/microscope? I'm a gemologist so I get excited about gem finds!! If your ship came in and these are untreated rubies, you will probably be selling them at one of the major international auction houses. There is always a chance though that they could be synthetic rubies (still rubies, but made in a laboratory instead of earth mined - the most common method of synthesis produces intensely colored gems with perfect clarity,) or they can be mined corundum that has been treated with a filler to enhance the color and clarity - this process is immensely widespread and nearly all the consumer/commercial grade rubies on the market and in jewelry stores have this treatment. An untreated ruby of good color and clarity is hard to find unless you want to pay serious $$$$. The inclusions in the gems will tell the story and a good gemologist might even be able to give you an idea of where the rubies were mined! Congrats on your gems and please keep us updated as to what you do with them

 

[opwellness]

You definitely want to send one in to GIA for testing! Where did your grandfather get these rubies? Did the jeweler test the RI (refractive index) and tell you anything about the inclusions after looking at the stones under a loupe/microscope? I'm a gemologist so I get excited about gem finds!! If your ship came in and these are untreated rubies, you will probably be selling them at one of the major international auction houses. There is always a chance though that they could be synthetic rubies (still rubies, but made in a laboratory instead of earth mined - the most common method of synthesis produces intensely colored gems with perfect clarity,) or they can be mined corundum that has been treated with a filler to enhance the color and clarity - this process is immensely widespread and nearly all the consumer/commercial grade rubies on the market and in jewelry stores have this treatment. An untreated ruby of good color and clarity is hard to find unless you want to pay serious $$$$. The inclusions in the gems will tell the story and a good gemologist might even be able to give you an idea of where the rubies were mined! Congrats on your gems and please keep us updated as to what you do with them

The jeweler said they are definitely not man made or synthetic. He said they look like some of them were in jewelry before but besides that, color was top notch and their were minimal inclusions. He was a 60 yo guy and he said he had been in the gem biz for 40 years. His words were "they were the nicest group of stones he had ever seen and that he has seen better indevidual stones and pairs, even jewelry that was amazing but never 32 huge rubies, well cut, perfect color and awesome clarity". He asked me if I was part of a royal family or something, lol. I mean, I know my grandfather made his money on stones a long time ago but the last 20 years of his life, he mainly did real estate. Two days ago I was selling this same jeweler a half ounce of gold that I had to sweat and bless to get out of the ground and now I have these...!? Obviously I'm not speechless but I am still in awe. I am still in disbelief personally!! I am just waiting for someone to burst my bubble because stuff like this doesn't happen to me. I was stoked when he left me 200 carats of raw opal. My mom gave me an old trunk that he wanted me to have and all the stones, some old confederate bills and everything from that Dropbox page were in it.

How would I tell if they are untreated?

 

[opwellness]

Also, were are you located, unresponsive? I would love to get a third opinion. I am in orange county California but if you are close by, I would lobe for you to check them out. I am taking them to a family friend that teaches geology at cal state long beach, sometime this week. There is a professor there that had checked 4 or 5 of them out when my grandpa had originally procured them. I know absolutely nothing about them in particular. My mom had thought they were garnets because she had only seen them in a dark trunk. As soon as I held them in the light, there was no question to me that they were something special. I just don't know enough to know how $pecial..!?

 

[unresponsivebeevictim]

I'm in Canada, which is too bad because I would die to get my hands on those rubies for a look! I would strongly suggest you head to the GIA in Carlsbad whenever you have the time and leave one at the lab there, if they are valuable you will need certification before you try to sell them. If they turn out to be untreated, contact Sothebys so they can sell them to a sultan you lucky... ahem. If they turn out to be treated, heat treated rubies are very, very valuable ($$thousands$$ a carat, for heat alone,) its when they have been filled, dyed or diffused that the value drops right off. You'd need a lab to find out what treatment, if any, they have; its not something jewelers or geologists are usually trained to do. Good luck and keep us (me!!) updated!

 

[BurntBear]

I just looked at your Dropbox photos. I have two words...

"Lock & Key"

I would refrain from telling many people in person about your inheritance.

This is what an UNTREATED, natural Ruby looks like cut. This one was mined out of North Carolina. Notice all the inclusions?

N.C. Ruby 1.10 cts. 7x5mm Oval Cut

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

I'm speechless, my grandfather left me 5 dateless buffalo nickle's.... Heh, still love them but damn dude that's a come up !! Sell one for 50k keep the rest. Sell them as you need them !!

Keep @ it and HH !!

 

[bobinsd]

In this situation, does the I$R$S wait until there is a sale?

 

[Sheldon J]

In this situation, does the I$R$S wait until there is a sale?

he said he is in Canada... even the IRS cannot reach Canadian citizens..... the Queen on the other hand could claim this to be treasure trove and attempt to seize it

OK joking aside with out a jewelers lope the rubies are nice size and you have at least one Burmese in the lot, but I question a couple them as possible tourmaline, and a possible synthetic, but that is best left up to the people there and with the proper testing equipment....

Also beware of any place you take them as being possibly unscrupulous (don't let them out of your sight) and have been known to swap stones, or make some high pressure "Generous offer" that is way off base...

Also there is the retail VS wholesale value on the stones short version I can go in to any jewelry store, look at some sparkly the wife wants and deal them down by 50% or more depending on how hungry they are...