Fine rubies, especially Burmese rubies, are among the rarest and most expensive gemstones in the world. There are only a handful of sources producing facet qualities in any commercial quantity. The perfect ruby does not exist. With ruby, there are no tens. So rare is ruby, that even an eight is worthy of idol worship.
The rule is: if she likes it, buy it for her. Just do not go thinking it is an investment. Many of us do not have the $3,000,000 per carat for a very fine untreated ruby. Too avoid paying too much, you should understand ruby, and their treatment by man.
Rubies require chromium, as it does, for example, in emeralds and alexandrite. Chromium messes with a crystal structure, breaking it up inside. Thus, there are plenty of rubies with chromium, but only a rare few that grow slowly enough to achieve perfection.
Lab created rubies have the same chemical structure as natural rubies. According to eBay listing policies of ruby, a lab created ruby may be sold as a natural earth grown ruby in the precious gemstone group. There are no requirements to disclose a lab created ruby from a earth mined ruby.
Today, it has been estimated that 98% of rubies have been treated; heated, radiated, diffused, filled, dyed, bleached, oiled, coated, or any possible combination of these. Some treatments are known and legal, others are considered cheating, some are permanent, and others fade. Lead glass-filled rubies are called composite rubies. This is because they can be over 60% lead glass, and only 40% ruby. This is a more troubling problem in the stability of the composite ruby. A jewelry makers torch can damage the lead glass-fill, and it is prone to breaking if dropped. Some traders disclose treatments, some do not.
Protecting the consumer should be of paramount concern to everyone in the gem and jewelry trade. In the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states:
It is unfair or deceptive to fail to disclose that a gemstone has been treated if:
(a) the treatment is not permanent. The seller should disclose that the gemstone has been treated and that the treatment is or may not be permanent;
(b) the treatment creates special care requirements for the gemstone. The seller should disclose that the gemstone has been treated and has special care requirements to the purchaser;
(c) the treatment has a significant effect on the stone's value. The seller should disclose that the gemstone has been treated.
What really happens to rubies is hidden in Asia. Even the best gemologist can hardly oversee every new process that is used to "enhance" a ruby. New treatments are developed in more and more rapid succession. Every new treatment needs months, or even years to be identified. Meanwhile the door is wide open for fraud and misuse.
What is HPHT? It stands for high temperature plus high pressure treatment. It has been used on diamonds since the 1990's. It was only a matter of time before the corundum cookers looked to the addition of pressure with high temperatures. The pressure treatment became perfected and started showing up since 1997. The pressure applied to corundum was greatly reduced compared to that of a diamond. This mimicked the formation of gemstones in the depth of the earth.
The HPHT treatment of corundum has been evaluated for stability. HPHT is considered stable and permanent. Other than normal care considerations used for most jewelry, there are no extra instructions for care and handling of HPHT treated gemstones. As a result of lab testing, it is believed by many that this treatment should not require specific disclosure beyond declaring the stones as heated only. Why is HPHT being used? The answer is that it is far quicker than standard heat treatment, allowing gemstones to be treated in 30 minutes or less.
If your ruby is treated with any treatment, the price of your ruby will diminish its value relative to the type of treatment. What is the next best ruby in value to an untreated ruby? In my opinion, the blowpipe low heated ruby. Ruby value will diminish based on other treatments, such as high heat, radiation and diffusion, dying, bleaching, coating and infilling of lead glass. Only a qualified gemologist with high tech gemological equipment can confirm many of these treatments.
Today's treatments are far more sophisticated than the primitive blowpipe heatings of years gone by. These rubies were sold to me as "heated". Richard W. Hughes, one of the world's foremost expert on rubies, has written several dissertations on identifying the treatment of a ruby. By using my microscope, and his research, I discovered these rubies were not just heated, they were subjected to pressure also.
This process essentially "squeezes" the voids and inclusions together in the corundum structure. The tell tale sign is a trail of arching miniature air bubbles that follow the end of a crack that was melted and fused at high temperatures with pressure. These together diminish the inclusions and voids, allowing the gem to appear of better quality and worth more per carat than a non-treated, low quality gemstone.
The earring are made with faceted ruby gemstones from Mozambique. The ruby are 6 mm faceted rounds with a combined gemstone weight of 2.03 carats. The gems are set in six prong 14 karat yellow gold-filled settings. The earrings are studs and include clear plastic hypoallergenic earring backs. The earrings backs have a circumference of 10 mm's. This base holds the earring on a rigid surface, keeping the earrings upright on the earlobe, preventing drooping earrings. Earrings arrive in a gift box.
The Mozambique rubies are genuine. They are not lead glass filled, but high heat and pressure treated (HPHT) rubies. As far as clarity goes, they are eye clean, and of gemstone looking quality. Inclusions are not always indicative of lower quality, but show the difference between a natural and a synthetic stone. The type of inclusion (minerals, growth structures; canals, or other cavities) often indicates the source area.
I have photographed the earrings with LED lighting. Gemstones are creatures of light. Different light sources emit different wavelengths of light. The rubies will look different in daylight, and even incandescent light.
If you wish to have a jeweler look at your rubies, do not go to your friends, it will hurt their feelings that you did not buy from them. Go to a certified gemologist. You want this question answered "Is this ruby lead glass filled"? You can also get a report from a reputable gemologist with written documentation. This is a purchase of the most expensive gemstones in the world, yes, even more expensive than a diamond.
I guarantee my jewelry 100%. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase, return your item and I will refund your purchase price. I do not charge a restocking fee on returned items.
Take a look at my other listings in Meet the seller information, visit my store and eBay will create a list for you. I am adding new items often. Thank you for visiting my store.
All gold is yellow. There is no such thing as red, pink, rose, green or white gold. When jewelers speak of colored gold, they mean colored gold alloys.
In the jewelry industry, the quantity of gold settings must be at least 1/20th by weight of the total product. 10 karat signifies 10 parts of 24 parts are gold. 14 karat signifies 14 parts of 24 parts are gold and so on.
Karat gold-filled is a quality jeweler's metal. With reasonable care, they can last for generations. Karat gold filled is made by using heat and pressure to permanently bond a layer of gold to a core of brass or other base metal. It is not the same as gold plated, which is a cheap, thin coating of gold only a molecule thick. Karat gold filled has around 100 times more gold in it than gold plated. The surface of karat gold filled settings are totally covered with a thick layer of karat gold, and that is what comes in contact with your skin, all gold. It does not discolor or flake off like gold plate does. As a high quality jeweler's metal, gold filled is a way to have affordable, heirloom quality jewelry at one twentieth of the cost of solid gold.
