Burmese, call it "King of Gems", country people call it the "desire fulfilling stone" because it make dreams come true. Ruby is the color of passion and love. The birthstone for July born babies, whenever mentioned, the magic word of Burma Red comes to the mind.
BURMA
Unlike most Gems, with the exception of Colombia for Emeralds, Rubies are sold as being from Burma or not from Burma. The best grade of Burma Ruby is sold as "Burma Red" or Pigeon Blood Color." It is the most beautiful magical red with a distinctive glow, especially in sun, daylight, sometime with a bubbly pinkish tone and purplish deep red under incandescent light. When two Rubies of comparable quality are offered for sale, the one from Burma often cost twice as much. No other Rubies have the vibrancy of the Burmese Ruby.
The 4 Cs: Color, Color, Color and Color.
Unlike most of Gems, color is almost the most important determining factor when evaluating a Ruby. Unlike the Sapphire that comes in every possible color except red, Ruby is only Red. The trade accepts a touch of purplish red overtone since it is a part of the pigeon blood Red Color. Pink Corundum is pink sapphire. Pink rubies do not exist. They are misnomers. A slight pinkish overtone in a Burma Ruby is acceptable if it does not exceed 10 or 20% of the Color evaluations. Since rubies are classified as almost always included, a flawless 2ct Ruby is almost impossible to find, most buyers go first for color, requesting a slightly included or an eye clean stone. Buyers, who insist in buying a large flawless ruby, usually sacrifice the color or the money.
AFRICAN RUBIES
African Rubies from the famous Sonkia Mine in Tanzania usually come flawless to eye clean with great deal of transparency and brilliance, but they are orange red with a brownish red overtone. Because they are red, they are Rubies, even though some jewelers mistaken them for Garnet and sometimes as Red Sapphire, another misnomer for Ruby.
RUBY TREATMENT
It is possible to find an unheated Sapphire in various color, understanding that you will be paying a high premium for its natural condition, but locating an unheated or untreated Ruby in the Gem Trade these days is almost impossible. All Gem Labs, even GIA assume that all natural Rubies are heated to enhance Color and appearance. Another treatment that is widely used and accepted for Ruby, especially the larger Gem grade sizes, is the filling with colorless substances such as "borax." These fillers are used to improve the clarity of the internal fractures to avoid the development of these inclusions to breakage or external fractures that may affect the Gem. Because all Rubies, especially the ones that come from Burma or Thailand, are heated after they are mined, if you are buying one, assume that it is heated or filled. Ask for a lab certificate if you’re told the opposite. Such treatment must be disclosed to consumer at all times. Simply heated Rubies are much more valuable than filled and heated Rubies. Although all of these treatments are durable, filled Rubies must be handled by your jeweler with care. Many unknowledgeable jewelers damage their client’s expensive Rubies when heating the Gold or Platinum piece to high temperature, causing fractures and telling the clients that their Ruby was treated to avoid responsibility or replacement.
SYNTHETIC AND LAB GROWN RUBIES
No matter how your Ruby is treated, it remains identified as a natural Gem. Treatment simply finishes what nature has started. Synthetic and lab grown man made Rubies are not natural Gems even though they are expensive and beautiful.
INVESTMENT GRADE
- If rare Gems are considered portable wealth, rare Rubies are the
ultimate Treasure.
- Investment grade Rubies must be at least 2ct in size
Since color is everything in a Ruby, try to get the best Burma Red Color your money can buy, stay away of pink colors or ones with strong purple overtones
- If you can afford eye clean or near flawless Rubies, go for it, it will more likely hod and increase in value. Eye clean Rubies do not mean that no inclusions can be seen under magnification, it means that you can’t notice any distracting inclusion with your naked eye. Translucent or slightly opaque Rubies may appear eye clean, because inclusions are hidden by the fact that the stone is opaque or translucent to semi-opaque
- Transparent Rubies are extremely rare, given the fact that it is a gem grade in its color. Since transparent Rubies are hardly located, expect to pay much more than a comparable opaque Ruby
- Poorly cut Rubies can’t be of an investment Grade. India, one of the major world cutting center, usually cut smaller and less costly rubies, while Thailand, the largest Gem market and cutting center of color stone, has the reputation of the best Ruby cutters. Ask where your Ruby was cut and look for proportionate cut. The more beautiful your Ruby is, the rarer and the more valuable it is.
Gem Auction Inc.
© Copyright 1997-2001, Gem Auction Inc. All Rights Reserved.
©1997-2001 Gem Auction Inc.
Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.
Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the User Agreement and Privacy Policy
Site developed, managed, and maintained by NEXTGENEX solutions co., ltd.