| Blue, green and red - sapphire, emerald | | | | are generally too light in color, while, |
| and ruby - the colored-stone trinity. | | | | with other sources, such as Kenya, |
| There is something primal about our | | | | Pakistan and Afghanistan, material clean |
| attraction to these gems. Each relates | | | | enough for faceting is rare. Thus the |
| to a familiar part of life. Blue is | | | | combination of fine color (body color |
| ocean/sky. Green - verdant soothing. And | | | | plus fluorescence) and facetable |
| red? Red is fire, blood, the very | | | | material (i.e., internally clean) has |
| life-giver itself - passion. Women do | | | | put the Burmese ruby squarely atop the |
| not paint their lips green, nor do men | | | | crimson crest. Indeed, some consider |
| send their love blue valentines. No, for | | | | Burma to be not just the best source, |
| thoughts of love and passion, only one | | | | but the only source of stones fit to be |
| color will do - red. And no more | | | | called ruby. |
| passionate gem exists than the ruby. | | | | Seeing red |
| That said, let us take a look at the | | | | What do I look for in ruby? Bright is |
| beast known as ruby. | | | | first and foremost. Can't stand the dull |
| Building the perfect beast | | | | or dark stuff. Not for me the burgundy |
| Ruby is among the rarest of all the | | | | reds typical of the Thai/Cambodian |
| major precious stones, with only a | | | | border. When I fill my tank, I want |
| handful of sources producing facet | | | | gasoline that burns. |
| qualities in any commercial quantity. In | | | | Color |
| analyzing this gem we must first realize | | | | For ruby, the intensity of the red color |
| the perfect ruby does not exist. Get it | | | | is the primary factor in determining |
| out of your head. With ruby, there are | | | | value. The ideal stone displays an |
| no tens. So rare is this lass that even | | | | intense, rich crimson without being too |
| an eight is worthy of down-on-your-knees | | | | light or too dark. Stones which are too |
| idol worship. | | | | dark and garnety in appearance, or too |
| Why that is so is because fine ruby | | | | light in color, are less highly valued. |
| requires chromium, and chromium, as it | | | | The finest rubies display a color |
| does in emerald and alexandrite, messes | | | | similar to that of a red traffic light. |
| with the stone, breaks it up inside. | | | | There is a tendency for the market to |
| Thus there are plenty of corundums with | | | | favor stones of the intense red-red |
| chromium, but only a rare few that grow | | | | color. Certainly the highest prices are |
| slowly enough to achieve perfection. | | | | paid for these. But do not overlook the |
| The best rubies have high color | | | | slightly less intense shades. Such gems |
| saturation. This results from a mixture | | | | have a brightness missing in their more |
| of the slightly bluish red body color | | | | saturate brethren and often look better |
| and the purer red fluorescent emission. | | | | in the low lighting that one typically |
| Let it glow | | | | wears fine jewelry. Like beautiful |
| Ruby's red glow is like the snowflake | | | | women, rubies do come in many shades, |
| and the rainbow. In one of those | | | | the preference for which is a matter of |
| glorious accidents of nature, ruby is | | | | personal taste. Ah, but isn't that what |
| blessed with both a red body color and a | | | | makes life worth living? |
| tendency to take bits of visible blue | | | | Clarity |
| and green light and blast them back with | | | | In terms of clarity, ruby tends to be |
| a laser-like red emission. Indeed, the | | | | more included than sapphire. While the |
| first lasers made use of this very | | | | general rule is to look for stones that |
| property (synthetic ruby is still a | | | | are eye-clean, i.e., with no inclusions |
| common laser material). | | | | visible to the unaided eye, extremely |
| This red glow is key, for it tends to | | | | fine silk throughout the stone can |
| cover up the dark areas of the stone | | | | actually enhance the beauty of some |
| caused by extinction from cutting. Thai | | | | rubies. |
| Cambodian rubies might possess a purer | | | | For star rubies, while a certain amount |
| red (less purple) body color, but they | | | | of silk is necessary to create the star |
| lack the strong fluorescence. These | | | | effect, too much desaturates the color, |
| Fe-rich rubies display good color where | | | | making it appear grayish. This is |
| light is properly reflected off pavilion | | | | undesirable. |
| facets (internal brilliance). However, | | | | Cut |
| where facets are cut too steep, light | | | | In the market, rubies are found in a |
| exits through the side instead of | | | | variety of shapes and cutting styles. |
| returning to the eye, creating darker | | | | Ovals are cushions are the most common, |
| areas (extinction). | | | | but rounds are also seen, as are other |
| All stones possess extinction to a | | | | shapes, such as the heart or emerald |
| certain degree, but in fine rubies, the | | | | cut. Slight premiums are paid for round |
| strong crimson fluorescence masks it. | | | | stones, while slight discounts apply for |
| The best Burmese stones actually glow | | | | pears and marquises. Stones that are |
| red and appear as though Mother Nature | | | | overly deep or shallow should generally |
| brushed a broad swath of fluorescent red | | | | be avoided. |
| paint across the face of the stone. This | | | | Cabochon-cut rubies are also common. |
| is the carbuncle of the ancients, a term | | | | This cut is used for star stones, or |
| derived from the glowing embers of a | | | | those not clean enough to facet. The |
| fire. Indeed, the King of Ceylon was | | | | best cabochons are reasonably |
| said to possess a ruby that shone so | | | | transparent, with nice smooth domes and |
| brightly that when he brought it out at | | | | good symmetry. Avoid stones with too |
| night, it would light up the entire | | | | much excess weight below the girdle, |
| palace. | | | | unless they are priced accordingly. |
| Gossamer | | | | Prices |
| What gods are these? Not only did they | | | | With the exception of imperial jadeite |
| bless the ruby with an inborn glow to | | | | and certain rare colors of diamond, ruby |
| match its scarlet skin, but such was | | | | is the world's most expensive gem. But |
| their benevolence that they also gave us | | | | like all gem materials, low-quality |
| silk - oriented needles of rutile - | | | | (i.e., non-gem quality) pieces may be |
| gossamer threads that banish the | | | | available for a few dollars per carat. |
| darkness besmirching the rest of the | | | | Such stones are generally not clean |
| mortal gem world. | | | | enough to facet. The highest price per |
| Such tiny exsolved inclusions scatter | | | | carat ever paid for a ruby was Alan |
| light onto facets that would otherwise | | | | Caplan's Ruby ("Mogok Ruby"), a |
| be extinct (dark). This gives softness, | | | | 15.97-ct. faceted stone that sold at |
| as well as spreading it across a greater | | | | Sotheby's New York, Oct., 1988 for |
| part of the gem's face. Thai/Cambodian | | | | $3,630,000 ($227,301/ct). |
| rubies contain no rutile silk, and thus | | | | Stone Sizes |
| possess more extinction. | | | | Large rubies of quality are far more |
| In actuality, rubies from most sources | | | | rare than large sapphires of equal |
| possess a strong red fluorescence and | | | | quality. Indeed, any untreated ruby of |
| silk similar to those from Burma, with | | | | quality above two carats is a rare |
| the Thai/Cambodian rubies being the | | | | stone; untreated rubies of fine quality |
| exception. However, those from Sri Lanka | | | | above five carats are world-class pieces |