Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Assessing a Ruby
• Part 2 of 3: Choosing a frame
• Part 3 of 3: Exploring Ruby Deposits
• Warnings

Rubies have long been prized for their incredible strength and vibrant color. Unlike some gemstones, they are not graded on a precise, universal scale. But there are several characteristics that most jewelers use to assess the quality of a ruby. Learn how to determine the quality of a ruby, choose a setting for jewelry, and find out more about how rubies are mined and processed. Some ruby ​​mines are associated with human rights abuses or environmental disasters, but there are several alternative mines that avoid such casualties.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Assessing a Ruby

1. 1 Choose the carat that suits your budget and preference. Carats (C) is a measurement of the size of a gem. In general, the larger the stone, the more expensive it is. However, there is usually some price fluctuation for 1, 3, and 5 carats, so you would make a better deal if you choose 0.9s, 2.9s, or 4.9s rubies instead. Remember that carat is essentially a matter of aesthetics as well as value. A person with slender fingers or less pretentious tastes may prefer a smaller stone.
2. 2 Roughly speaking, the quality of a one-carat natural ruby ​​that costs less than $ 250 would be considered more ordinary than good. High quality starts at $ 700 and up. At $ 10,000 per carat and above, the ruby ​​must be exceptional and rare.

1. 1
   • Rubies made in laboratories usually sell for about 85-90% of the value of a natural ruby ​​of the same quality
   • Due to the fact that large rubies are rare, their value increases faster than size. A five-carat regular-quality ruby ​​can cost ten times as much as a comparable one-carat ruby; at the same time, a high quality five-carat ruby ​​(rather rare) can be twenty-five times more expensive than a similar one-carat ruby.
2. 2 Choice of cut. The cut of a gem can be used to determine how it was made by a jeweler. The general cut is preferable, while many rubies are cut in an oval shape, in the form of a "roll" (rounded square) or a circle. Other fairly common cut shapes are “heart” and “cushion” (rectangle with cut corners). But due to low demand, they may be slightly cheaper compared to gemstones of similar quality, set in a different cut.
3. 3 Choose a color. Catalogs or websites with rubies can list them according to color or shade. While pure red and purple rubies are the most expensive options, high quality rubies can also be orange-red, ruddy, or pink. The choice of color is a matter of taste.
   • If you are interested in pink rubies, check out pink sapphires as well. Sapphires and rubies are made from the same mineral, corundum, and are collectively classified by color. Pink gemstones can be classified in the same way.
   • Pink rubies are in great demand in Asia than in Western countries, and therefore are valued more on this continent.
   • Some companies try to define a color based on the part of the world where it comes from. However, this system is not accurate.
4. 4 If you buy rubies online, find a company with a return policy. Although you can choose the main characteristics presented when shopping online, it is very difficult to evaluate a ruby ​​in more detail from a photograph. Online gem sellers can post information using the parameters described above. But even if they tell the truth, you may not find the ruby ​​attractive when it arrives. If you need to buy ruby ​​online, always check the return policy and check online reviews of the company to avoid being scammed. When the ruby ​​arrives, examine it using the criteria below and send it back for a refund or replacement if it does not meet your specifications.
5. 5 Hold the ruby ​​under a bright light. Inside the ruby, you may see one or more black or gray spots, called "extinctions", which are not exposed to light. The more such spots, the lower the value of the ruby.

Roll the stone in the light to see how visible the spots are from different angles. If you don't like these features at all, lighter stones and stones with shallow cuts have fewer extinctions, but may have other problems such as "windows" (transparent appearance, as if you are looking through a window) and less gloss.

1. 1
   • An accurate assessment of how impurities will affect the price of a ruby ​​is subjective.
2. 2 Check color saturation. This indicator is also called purity or color intensity and should be included in the description of the ruby. Alive Rubies have the most intense color, leaving behind “hard” rubies. “Medium”, “light” or “weak” color saturation means that the color of a ruby ​​is hidden behind certain shades of brown or gray, making it less pronounced.

1. 1
   • These indicators are determined by jewelers, and not by any scientific indicators.
2. 2 Pay attention to the shade of the ruby. The hue of the ruby ​​determines the amount of color represented, which ranges from “very dark” to “very light”. "Medium" shades of ruby ​​tend to have the most value, but it all depends on personal preference.
3. 3 Appreciate the purity of the ruby. Many rubies contain "blotches" or visible substances embedded in the stone. In most cases, a clean stone is the most valuable. However, some collectors of rubies appreciate the unique appearance of the stone, which is imparted to it. The silk fibers of the mineral, called rutile, can have an ebb that is highly prized.

If these filaments are arranged in the shape of a star, then the ruby ​​turns into a rare and valuable "star ruby".

# * There is no standard grading system for ruby ​​purity. One general system ranks stones from 1 (perfectly clean) to 4 (many interspersed).

1. 1
   • Another common system ranks them from F (flawless), VVS (smallest blotches that are very difficult to see when zooming in), VS (very small, noticeable when magnifying), SI (small blotches that are difficult to see with the eye) and I (blotches, easy visible to the eye).
2. 2 Learn how rubies are processed. Natural, unprocessed rubies are rare and expensive. Almost all rubies are processed by jewelers using heat to enhance their color. This treatment is widespread because it does not affect the durability of the stone and improves its appearance. However, if the stone has been treated with "surface diffusion" or "healing flow", additional substance is added to the ruby ​​to heal the cracks. These rubies tend to be of much lower value due to the temporary nature of the processing.

Part 2 of 3: Choosing a frame

1. 1 Choose a metal based on your preference and budget. Rubies are usually placed in white gold. However, the choice of metal depends on your personal preference. If you are buying a ruby ​​as a gift to someone, try to find out what metal that person's jewelry is made of. Lower carat precious metals are cheaper, but may be less lustrous or more capable of tarnishing.
2. 2 Look at large prong-set stones. In "claw setting" metal hooks hold the edge of the stone in place. This ensures the safety of the stone, and is a common type of attachment for large stones.
3. 3 Use a gemstone socket to hold it in place. A “socket frame,” or metal bezel, tightly surrounds the gem to hold it in place. This is another popular type of setting for large stones. They also include the "half-nesting frame", which frames some part of the stone.
4. 4 Explore other options for stone paths. If the jewelry contains several small stones, it may not need one of the above methods to keep it safe. Explore designs such as "claw setting" (small balls of precious metal), "path" (a niche in which stones are located), or "invisible" (using paths cut into stones to attach them without a metal frame)

Part 3 of 3: Exploring Ruby Deposits

1. 1 Imagine a laboratory that produces low quality rubies. Rubies produced in the laboratory are chemically identical to natural rubies, and therefore are just as durable and attractive. They are almost always cheaper than natural rubies of the same quality, due to the fact that manufacturing is cheaper than mining natural rubies. Lab-made rubies are an especially good choice if you are concerned about human rights violations and the environmental impact of ruby ​​mines, which can be significant.
   • They are often called synthetic rubies. Do not confuse them with artificial rubies or imitations of them, which are not real rubies and are considered not as durable and vibrant.
   • Star rubies are considered the most attractive, but natural star rubies are extremely rare and expensive compared to those made in laboratories.
2. 2 Choose used stones. About 98% of all rubies sold have been sold on the market for decades, because rubies are very difficult to destroy.

Some companies tend to sell some of their gemstones as "second hand" supplied by public and private jewelers, claiming no harmful effects on the environment.

# * Critics argue that the pursuit of new rubies supports gem-mining societies.

1. 1 Learn about rubies from Myanmar. Most of the world's rubies come from Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma. Although older rubies can be brought from the famous Mogok Valley, they are now mostly sourced from the Mong Hsu region.

According to the history of the region and the many famous rubies mined there, rubies from Myanmar have a special reputation.

However, due to human rights violations by the government of Myanmar, the import of new stones from the region has been banned in the United States and Canada, and in the recent past it has also been banned in the European Union.

# * Crimson-red rubies, known as "pigeon blood", are native to this area and are highly prized.

1. 1 Learn about other deposits. Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Thailand and some African countries export or have exported rubies, but these deposits tend to decline or abound when new ones are discovered or emptied. None of these deposits are as famous as Myanmar, but some are preferred for human rights or environmental concerns. The governments of Tanzania, Ghana and Zimbabwe are all trying to manage the environmental impact of mines with moderate success, as individuals or small groups do not have the money to meet environmental requirements.

Rubies are mined in the United States in accordance with all environmental protection rules, but they represent only a small part of the world's ruby ​​supply.

Warnings

• Just because a certain type of ruby ​​is rare, expensive, or in great demand does not mean that it will suit every taste. Don't be afraid to choose the one that you think is the most appropriate.