Rubys...anyone heard this?

[mistergee]

i usually don't post here but i thought i would relay something i found out about. while shopping for a xmas gift for the wifey, i bought a charm for her Pandora bracelet. i was going to get her one with a ruby in it as it is her birthstone. at the last minute i switched to one with diamonds. turns out stupid me already got her that one. anyway i went to return it and get the one with the ruby. NOT....the charm with the ruby was around $400 when i first looked at it. here we are 2 weeks later and the price.....$900. when i asked what happened they told me they stopped mining for rubys and the price skyrocketed. they also said that saphires were next. anyone hear anything about this?

 

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[marinedad]

i have not heard that, but i wonder if they are not being treated like blood diamonds. the conditions for finding them in other countries are horrible to the workers.

 

[Red James Cash]

Be careful buying rubies,I heard that they are starting to call pink and or red sapphires rubies.

 

[Eu_citzen]

I'm not aware of such event, however high quality untreated rubies are very hard indeed to find!

If you can, check the rock under a loupe and ask how many carats. He should MUST know this.
If he does not let us know approx size and shape (e.g. 8x6 mm, oval shape) and we could estimate the weight.

Look for roundish small air bubbles with the loupe.
Like the picture here: http://www.richardweare.co.uk/emailnewsletter/octnov08/rubybefore.jpg
That's a typical example of lead-glass filled ruby.

If you like to know more, read here:
http://lgdl.gia.edu/pdfs/gemsandgemology/articles/Sp06-G&G-article-on-lead-glass–filled-rubies.pdf

Such stones treated with lead-glass go at around 50 to 100 dollars per carat.
If they have much glass (requires gemmological tests) they are worth a lot less.
Maybe a few dollars/ carat up to 10$/carat.

This treatment is very common!
Ok, lol, that was just a heads up.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Be careful buying rubies,I heard that they are starting to call pink and or red sapphires rubies.

Red sapphires are rubies.
However if they'd offer me a pink 'ruby' (technically sapphire), I'd be happy.
Pink ruby would be considered low quality, meaning it'd be cheaper then buying pink sapphire.

 

[Yoop]

All natural rubies will have very fine rutile needles in them. Check with a good lens.

Here is the Wiki reference to that identifier:

"All natural rubies have imperfections in them, including color impurities and inclusions of rutile needles known as "silk". Gemologists use these needle inclusions found in natural rubies to distinguish them from synthetics, simulants, or substitutes. Usually the rough stone is heated before cutting. Almost all rubies today are treated in some form, with heat treatment being the most common practice. However, rubies that are completely untreated but still of excellent quality command a large premium."

I haven't heard of any problems with mine output from the regular producing countries in Asia. There has been a falloff of the top quality rubies that have historically come out of Burma. But the rest of the gem flow hasn't been disrupted in such a way that would explain that kind of price increase. Sounds to me like somebody sensed a sale and was trying for over-the-top price.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Just a quick note on the rutile needles.

With heat treatment and "rapid" cooling of the rock the rutile can be dissolved into the rock itself.
So most of the time you can not find any rutile needles, or "silk".

Star rubies are also made synthetic so its not entirely true that rutile needles indicate a natural stone.
Not any more at least..

 

[strickman]

heat treating affects the rutile needles as well.