Lead Glass Ruby - New Article by Wink Jones

[coati]

New Journal Article by Wink Jones of High Performance Diamonds

https://www.pricescope.com/journal/lead-glass-ruby-nightmare-keeps-giving

Wink, thank you for your contribution.

 

[RockHugger]

Why I don't buy or ssell corundum. To many treatments now a days.

 

[VapidLapid]

Erika, thank you for posting this disturbing development.

 

[chrono]

A very well done article by Wink and a superb reminder about the various undisclosed treatment of corundum. Sometimes the filling is so extensive that there is more glass than ruby.

Here are a few of my thoughts:
1. Lead glass filling of rubies has been around for MANY years. This is not a new treatment. The only difference is that some vendors disclose it and other don't.
2. The owner of the ruby is very fortunate to have the original vendor stand up to his product and replace it at no cost.
3. Wink is also very fortunate to have the insight & knowledge to be able to tell it has been lead filled. Taking pictures before and after the work is standard practice at my jeweller's and this is a B&M location.

 

[LD]

I wish more people were aware of this Unfortunately this has been around for years (as Chrono stated) and is the reason that you see large rubies for sale at incredible prices!

I had a friend who bought a large ruby and she was told it was lead filled several years after buying it - at the point of sale she believed it to be heated only. She was incredibly lucky however, when the ruby was set into her ring, the jeweller didn't immerse the finished ring into an acid bath to clean it. Had he done so, she'd have had a scratched, pitted, white lined ruby at the end of it.

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Great article Wink.
I guess you will be checking any new Rubies before your bench sets, resets, cleans, polishes or rhodium plates any jewelery containing them from now on

 

[Lee Little]

I think the first time I saw these was over 10 years ago, the streets were littered with them in Chanthaburi Thailand for sale cheap. They still are there in excess but many people no longer buy them, the market for them has all but died.
Not only should a jeweler not put these in the acid bath but he must also be careful with his steel tools such as a file as the glass will scratch. Polishing the metal around the stone is tricky also as the stone should not be touched with the polishing wheel as it is abrasive and may whiten the glass.
Anybody has a great chance to spot one of these in the store and thus avoid paying too much for it simply by using a 10x loupe. Almost every one of these will have at least one very round air bubble. If you see any air bubble, know it is probably a bubble in the glass. There are more things to look for but I don't want to give an information overload. If you really want to learn more just ask. Best regards, Lee

 

[BrainReed]

That was a great article Wink.I must say that it would be truly helpful to those who intend to buy jewelry that contains rubies. Especially when there are lots of jewellers around, this valuable information provided by you will surely help them to win their prospective customers heart and soul.

Keep Up The Good Work... and Thanks Again

Cheers
Mens Jewelry

 

[Imdanny]

Well that's just horrible.

 

[innerkitten]

Yuck.

 

[Art Nouveau]

Great informative article. Does anyone know if there is a danger of lead exposure from wearing jewelry set with these lead glass-filled rubies? I have seen very nice looking cabochon African rubies selling at gem shows for $10 a carat. I suspect those are lead glass filled rubies.

AN

 

[Lee Little]

Leaded glass used for a food storage container can give lead poisoning if an acidic beverage is stored in it then consumed. I have never heard of any danger of wearing rubies treated with leaded glass though. For one thing the amount of lead in a ruby would be tiny compared to a pitcher made entirely of it plus skin is generally more alkaline than acidic so I would doubt there would be much cause for alarm. That is a good question I have never heard discussed before.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

I have seen examples of these "rubies" brought to me from the fine members of our military who were overseas
and made purchases at street fairs from local merchants. A three carat "ruby" for $15.00 US is too good to be true.

Fortunately, gemstone buying there was for hobby and educational purposes more than profit making upon returning to the states.
So their disappointment was "minimal."

This is a huge problem and another instance where our industry must launch a public awareness campaign.

This article is a step in the right direction. Thanks Wink.

 

[WinkHPD]

Leaded glass used for a food storage container can give lead poisoning if an acidic beverage is stored in it then consumed. I have never heard of any danger of wearing rubies treated with leaded glass though. For one thing the amount of lead in a ruby would be tiny compared to a pitcher made entirely of it plus skin is generally more alkaline than acidic so I would doubt there would be much cause for alarm. That is a good question I have never heard discussed before.

My concern is for the jeweler working on them. When he heats the ruby the lead glass vaporizes and he is exposed to breathing in lead smoke. Granted, the quantities are small, but it is a health concern I think. I could be wrong of course, but hey, why take any chances with your health.

Wink

 

[Andelain]

I have seen examples of these "rubies" brought to me from the fine members of our military who were overseas
and made purchases at street fairs from local merchants. A three carat "ruby" for $15.00 US is too good to be true.

Fortunately, gemstone buying there was for hobby and educational purposes more than profit making upon returning to the states.
So their disappointment was "minimal."

This is a huge problem and another instance where our industry must launch a public awareness campaign.

This article is a step in the right direction. Thanks Wink.

I have a few of them that I bought in Afghanistan just because. They're pretty to look at, but I can't imagine ever getting them mounted in anything excpet maybe a wall display. I had to pick and choose to get pretty ones, most are total crap.

 

[Lee Little]

Ted Themellis wrote some time ago that they had figured out how to remove the leaded glass filling and replace it with another substance. I have not had a chance to talk to him for awhile, anybody hear anything further about it?

 

[T L]

I'm changing my handle to "corundum_hater." I honestly despise all the treatments on this gem, and I refuse to buy it anymore. Articles and video presentations like these are not only eye openers, they're really scary. I mean, when you buy a Mercedes, you know what you're getting. When you buy a house, you know what you're getting. With almost any high priced item, you know what you're getting. Unfortuantely with gems, in particular corundum, you don't know unless you do some serious homework. .

 

[ptorraca]

Great article Wink, I'm very glad I checked out the forum this morning. I've been talking with jewelers about this for a while now, warning them what can happen but I never managed to put together such an excellent summary.

Thanks for pulling this info together with the great illustrations. The more people who know about this problem the better.

peter

 

[Art Nouveau]

Wink's article is quoted in October's newsletter from Palagems.

AN

 

[smitcompton]

Hi All,

In 2005 I found an ebay seller auctioning heat treated only rubies, amongst other gems. I enthusiastly bid and promised several friends if I won them and they looked good, I would make them each a ruby ring. I must have 10-12 stones. Half of these looked pretty good, the other half were included-not opaque, but missed the mark. In fact the 6 good ones looked so nice to me, I wasn't sure I wanted to give them up.

Around this time I found PS and the consensus on here was they were diffused from Madacasgar. So it was here that i tried to learn more about rubies. According to AGL glass filled rubies appeared in 2003. I did make one friend a ring that appraised at over $1,000.00. This made me unsure of the value of the rubies. Within the last 6 months I had another ruby set, and brought these six stones to the jeweler. He wanted to buy them. I said no. I also had gotton a beautiful pink sapphire from the same vendor which i set.

I finally got tired of not knowing and sent the two smallest stones to AGL. Yesterday I received the results. A 1.01 ct red ruby turned out to be heat treated only. I didn't really expect that. So I went to the next. Composite ruby. It was 2.06. I have no doubt, I think, that the others are composite as well. I feel fortunate to have a nice small ruby that i paid $8.45 that turned out so well. The other was only $21.49. The cost of the briefs were $55.00 each. It was really worth it to know for certain. I think the smllest one slipped through.

It is a bad thing to sell these undisclosed. I think the jewelry trade would do itself good if it demanded some regulation, instead of having to be dragged to help. It is no wonder we don;t trust the business.

Thanks,
Annette

 

[Pandora II]

Ted Themellis wrote some time ago that they had figured out how to remove the leaded glass filling and replace it with another substance. I have not had a chance to talk to him for awhile, anybody hear anything further about it?

I went to a conference about 10 days ago and listened to Christopher Smith from AGL on this very substance. Seems that it is very easy to ID them with a x10 loupe, you wouldn't even need to go as far as sticking the stone on a refractometer.

Ted Themellis did a day seminar the day before the conference that sadly I couldn't attend (could only have Saturday or Sunday sans kid), but my tutor at Gem-A plus one of the girls in my class were both there so I'll ask them next Monday what it was as I'm sure he must have discussed it as the whole day was on ruby treatments (so sad I couldn't go) and report back.

 

[Lee Little]

They are real repaired rubies, pawn shops may be a great market place for them, nothing like getting what one pays for.

 

[JewelFreak]

A public education effort really needs to be made on this, appalling. What a weasel statement by Macy's -- pretty disgusting; no feeling of responsibility to serve their customers well. Worst of all is the damage to a small jeweler who re-set or repaired a piece containing one, unawares. What a darned shame the whole situation is! Thanks for doing the article, Wink, and Erika for putting it up.

--- Laurie

 

[tefutefu]

This is disgusting!

 

[Edward Bristol]

I am not sure if this was posted here already: http://www.themelis.com/Gem-new.html

Scary stuff from Dr. Frankenstone! This seems like making the market even more difficult.

 

[JewelFreak]

Spinels & garnets too, in addition to corundum. Groan. What a world.

--- Laurie

 

[Treenbean]

just when you think it's safe to buy a stone like spinel that supposedly turns brown when heated. It's not. Sly, sneaky, underhanded!! unless disclosed. Let's hope the process is really expensive and therefore not viable.

 

[Lee Little]

One small blessing is that Ted will not likely let his secrets out on this technique for quite a while yet so very little of this material will hit the market anytime soon. His primary business is not to treat and sell stones like most gem heaters, Ted is a research technologist and an author first. Should a stone dealer/treater manage to buy the technology from him then we will see the flood. Best regards, Lee

 

[chrono]

Lead glass ruby, is it a real ruby stones? That can be put in the pawnshop?

A lead glass ruby is still a ruby, even if there is more glass than corundum. So yes, it can definitely be found in pawnshops or anywhere else.

 

[Edward Bristol]

Ted is a cutting edge developer of new treatments but he also hates them; and said that treated gems should not be called “gemstones” anymore.

I am sure he will keep his new secret method better than some.

However, if he sells his newly treated gems into the market, others will buy them, get a ‘no treatment’ certificate and re-sell them for twice the value.