Advice on matching rubies

[MatthewT]

I am trying to make a pendant for my grandmother (on a budget). I want to do a centre ruby with a small diamond halo (maybe 1.5 mm stones) followed by a larger ruby halo (3.3mm).

I ordered some ruby melee online from thailand but they look far lighter in person (to me they look like pink sapphires). I attached the photo from etsy vs what they look like in person. It might just be because i'm using white indoor light.

I also ordered a centre ruby online(a round)- which is in the photo with the melee. I like the colour and the side facets sparkle well but the central one does not so much. I took it to a gem dealer who used a loop. There is a internal crack in the central facet-doesnt seem to be on the surface. He couldn't see any bubbles or weird light flashes but he said to be sure i'd have to take it to a lab as maybe flux could have been used.

I had a look through his rubies to find one that matched the melee. He found a pear (comes with an igi certificate) that was SI- though I couldn't really see the inclusions with my eye pictured below. Its probably one or two shades more red than the melee but its pretty close. He said with the diamond halo between and it being set you probably wont notice much of a difference and a lighter halo isn't necessarily a bad thing. I attached the photo from his website and the one I took in person (its the middle pear ruby on the white grooved thing).

I think I can't be bothered returning the melee or sending in the round ruby for a certificate. My round ruby is 6mm and the pear is 7x5.5.

1) In terms of aesthetics what looks better a deeper red centre stone with a noticeably lighter second halo (contrasting) or trying to go with a centre stone that is closer in colour to the melee (but not exactly perfect)?
2) The round was sold as heat only but no certificate. It has a internal crack that I cant see with my eye but the central facet is less sparky than the side ones. Its defiantly natural, its probably not glass filled but it might have flux. Its going on a pendant so its not going to be under as much strain as a ring. Should I be bothered in terms of durability etc?

 

[Autumn in New England]

Any way to zoom in and show us the inclusion in the round? Because as of this moment, I'm still picking it over the pear. Naturally, I can only go by what I'm seeing in your photos. You mentioned the inclusion is not eye visible, which is a plus. But I'd feel more comfortable getting a good look at it to decide whether it poses a structural threat. That it's going in a pendant is another plus.

I think the other issue will depend on personal preference. Does the color difference bother you (or will it bother your gram)? If not, then I think you're free to mix and match shades as you please. There are no rules. HTH!

 

[MatthewT]

These are the vendor pictures. I forgot to mention the vendor for this round stone offered a cert for an additional fee but it was with GIL which iv never heard of so I didn't bother- assumed it wasn't credible.

It looks a lot less pink and more red in person. Even if I shine my i phone torch on the table I dont see that much pink- only if i put the stone on the light and have the light go from underneath.

I think a more intense red looks nicer on a ruby. I think the higher saturation might be what makes the inclusiona less noticeable. I always thought the more off red the stone is the less it looks like a ruby. I was mostly worried if contrasting a deeper red stone with a very pinkish red would look weird or if matching the halo and centre stone (to a less desirable shade) is more important.

 

[MatthewT]

These are a couple of pictures under an indoor spot light.

 

[Autumn in New England]

So yeah, obviously we have some goodies going on in there. Still, I think the loss of light you're experiencing is from a rather shallow cut and large window. The pear has one too. Which stone do you like better - the round or the pear? You have a few choices... choose the one you like best to set with the melee you have, look for a center stone that better matches the melee, look for melee that better matches the center stone, or scrap both and start over. It's tough to advise what you should do. I think in this quality and price range, you can sort of play however you want.

 

[MatthewT]

I think I really prefer a more intense red in a ruby. I think I was a bit naive matching a ruby to a melee. No wonder the pendant in the design she liked was like $40,000. I think ill just give up and go for a double diamond halo or maybe a tsavorite halo- I heard tsavorite and ruby goes well together?

 

[Autumn in New England]

I think I really prefer a more intense red in a ruby. I think I was a bit naive matching a ruby to a melee. No wonder the pendant in the design she liked was like $40,000. I think ill just give up and go for a double diamond halo or maybe a tsavorite halo- I heard tsavorite and ruby goes well together?

I love the idea of pivoting to a diamond or other colored stone halo! You could also give the chosen ruby to a jeweler and ask him/her to match some ruby melee. Then you could oversee the match.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I think red and pink can work but it takes some finesse. Here is a mock up of my ruby with some hot pink sapphires in a ring design I am considering. I got these stones from Yvonne Raley, who also designed the ring.

 

[Garnetgirl]

I heard tsavorite and ruby goes well together?

My opinion only, so take it for what’s it worth. I like rubies and I like tsavorite, but not together. In my mind, green and red give off too much of a Christmas vibe.

 

[MatthewT]

I love the idea of pivoting to a diamond or other colored stone halo! You could also give the chosen ruby to a jeweler and ask him/her to match some ruby melee. Then you could oversee the match.

I had a look at the pear ruby in person. Its the middle one in the photo. Its pretty close to the melee, maybe one shade off when he put them next to each other but with a small diamond halo in-between he thought it would be less noticeable.

1) What do you think of the colour and do you think that colour counts as a ruby or a pink sapphire?
2) I think it has a pretty big window but since its going on a pendant with a double halo and its not like a pastel colour maybe it won't be so noticeable to someone standing at a reasonable distance? The other option at a similar price point was 0.64 mm deeper but 0.5 x 0.75 mm smaller with a much smaller window. Would you give up size for a smaller window on a pendant?
3) The other ruby I had set in a 18ct yellow gold ring became much more red once set. Is there some trick to get an idea of the colour of a ruby once set- is that the point of that white contraption he put the stones in (i think it looked more pink in the plastic felt thing that they were stored in)?

 

[Autumn in New England]

1) What do you think of the colour and do you think that colour counts as a ruby or a pink sapphire?

Judging by the photos provided, I would consider it a pinkish or purplish-red ruby.

2) I think it has a pretty big window but since its going on a pendant with a double halo and its not like a pastel colour maybe it won't be so noticeable to someone standing at a reasonable distance? The other option at a similar price point was 0.64 mm deeper but 0.5 x 0.75 mm smaller with a much smaller window. Would you give up size for a smaller window on a pendant?

Me personally? I would go smaller with a better cut... every day of the week. But yes, setting gems can often help with the appearance of cutting defects. It's not a magical fix though, especially with larger windows.

3) The other ruby I had set in a 18ct yellow gold ring became much more red once set. Is there some trick to get an idea of the colour of a ruby once set- is that the point of that white contraption he put the stones in (i think it looked more pink in the plastic felt thing that they were stored in)?

The shade of gold you set a stone in, or the shade of accent stones you use, can definitely influence the apparent color of your focal gem. But I wouldn't rely too much on it. In other words, you should love the color of the stone at its worst before setting it. That being said, I do find that high karatage yellow gold brings out something special in ruby. Try putting against any gold pieces you have in person to judge how it will look.

 

[Autumn in New England]

I think red and pink can work but it takes some finesse. Here is a mock up of my ruby with some hot pink sapphires in a ring design I am considering. I got these stones from Yvonne Raley, who also designed the ring.

This is going to be gorge... And yes, I love the shade difference here.

 

[MatthewT]

The vendor who sold me the melee said the only other melee with a deeper red was glass filled so I figured that was a bad idea.

I got the larger pear. Its 7x5.5 at just under a carat. It was only about $400 and came with an igi cert as only heated (Madagascar) . I know its got a big window but I figured between getting set and the fact that my grandma hates to wear her glasses, trading the window for a bigger spread would be worth it. Its gonna be a Christmas present (I know its quite far off but between the cad, casting and setting I guess its gonna take a while)

I plan to put a diamond halo (maybe 1-2 mm stones) between the centre stone and the 3.3 mm coloured stone halo. Plan to set it in a (pendant) lower purity yellow or maybe silver with a heavy gold plating (since gold is so expensive). The picture is taken on a overcast london day. Are the stones close enough in colour to not look weird (assuming you arn't like staring at it)?

 

[Autumn in New England]

I have to say again how utterly adorable it is that you create all of these pieces for your gram. She's your muse!

I do like this color match WAY better. The pear is a little deeper, but they're the same hue. The round had a different undertone than the melee. They look great. You sound ready to go... good luck! I'd love to see the finished result!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I think that match is really good and especially for a pendant where you aren't scrutinizing it up close but rather seeing it from a distance. I think you should set it in gold tone metal because gold really makes rubies pop!

 

[MatthewT]

Thanks Autumn and Dreamer. I have only dabbled in calibrated gems- find a cad I like then sourced gems that fit which was pretty straightforward.

My options are to

1)pay more to have it cad+cast+set here (london). I was quoted about $1500 for it in 18ct gold including having the gems set (around 900 in 10ct). Though I don't think these lower quality gemstones justify 18ct at these gold prices.

or
2)try to save some money and have it cad+ cast abroad (thailand/india) and semi set (just the inner diamond halo) and then set the centre stone and outer halo here.

Since the centre stone is a pear i'm worried that if I just gave the length/width/depth of the stone once I come to try to get the centre stone set it might not fit or there might be gaps in the halo- I think id throw the dice if it was say a round but im not so sure about the pear shape.

I also now have a random pear ruby that I somehow ordered by mistake on etsy which kind of matches my round. Not sure what ill do with those.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Thanks Autumn and Dreamer. I have only dabbled in calibrated gems- find a cad I like then sourced gems that fit which was pretty straightforward.

My options are to

1)pay more to have it cad+cast+set here (london). I was quoted about $1500 for it in 18ct gold including having the gems set (around 900 in 10ct). Though I don't think these lower quality gemstones justify 18ct at these gold prices.

or
2)try to save some money and have it cad+ cast abroad (thailand/india) and semi set (just the inner diamond halo) and then set the centre stone and outer halo here.

Since the centre stone is a pear i'm worried that if I just gave the length/width/depth of the stone once I come to try to get the centre stone set it might not fit or there might be gaps in the halo- I think id throw the dice if it was say a round but im not so sure about the pear shape.

I also now have a random pear ruby that I somehow ordered by mistake on etsy which kind of matches my round. Not sure what ill do with those.

Your concerns are valid. I know a lot of folks who order mountings from Asian vendors and are very happy (like Lord of Gem Rings, for instance). I think you'll get a decent fit for the center stone, even as a pear. But it likely won't be as good as when the person making the ring has your gem/s in-hand. And then melee is tricky. A lot of vendors will simply say they're 3mm, but there's some variation included in that... 2.8-3.2mm, for example. Perhaps if higher gold karatage isn't important, your best option might be to have the piece made in the UK with 10k. Then you don't have to worry.

 

[MatthewT]

I went to someone and they came up with this cad design. What do you think?

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Omg I love that but I love that kind of thing! I always like a ring of diamonds to break up the colour.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Same! Simple, classic, beautiful. I think gram will love it.

 

[PNWRockHound]

I went to someone and they came up with this cad design. What do you think?

that’s gorgeous! wowza!

 

[Dreamer_D]

It’s beautiful. One thought: it’s a more flashy style. Is that the intended wearers preference? Some might prefer a little more understated.

 

[MatthewT]

It’s beautiful. One thought: it’s a more flashy style. Is that the intended wearers preference? Some might prefer a little more understated.

I think she would want something that she could wear casually. I think she would need something with a bit of a bulk given that its a pendant (and she doesnt like to wear her glasses!). I'd love to get her a 20mm ruby but a normal heat treated one would be crazy expensive . So I figured using a double halo gets me the most bang for my buck. I didn't really think of the flashy aspect, I just assumed from a distance a 20 mm pendant wont look too glaring. Now i'm questioning it too!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I think she would want something that she could wear casually. I think she would need something with a bit of a bulk given that its a pendant (and she doesnt like to wear her glasses!). I'd love to get her a 20mm ruby but a normal heat treated one would be crazy expensive . So I figured using a double halo gets me the most bang for my buck. I didn't really think of the flashy aspect, I just assumed from a distance a 20 mm pendant wont look too glaring. Now i'm questioning it too!

I suspect she will love whatever you give her! My grandma would wear the double halo with diamonds for sure even though she was an incredibly casual dresser (sweats and t shirts), she would love it because it was a gift and she would not care one bit that technically it was more formal than her style. Some grandmas might feel uncomfortable with a more formal piece or feel it was too good for them. All depends on the grandma!

There is no reason that the pendant you have designed could not be worn with casual attire though. It’s beautiful. If you are concerned about your grandmas reaction based on her other jewelry or things she has said,It’s the halo of diamonds that maybe makes it look a little more formal? It could also look beautiful with just the ruby halo or even a double ruby halo to added size. But trust your gut. You know her best. I love the design you have.

 

[MatthewT]

I ordered the cast of the pendant, I bit the bullet and went for 18ct yellow gold. I didn't like the look of low carat gold with the rubies. It was only about 800 dollars for the casting which I thought was reasonable.

I still have this round left. I think I'll make a ring out of it. I was considering these semi sets- they can swap the pear shape with a round easily. Or stealing a pricescope member-catmom design... Do you think the metal outline is functional btw is it there to protect the tips of the pears?

 

[Autumn in New England]

@Catmom's ruby ring is one of my favorites on PS! The cupped milgrain border can certainly be thought of as adding a bit of protection to the halo. But I think it's really there more for aesthetic purposes.

 

[MatthewT]

@Catmom's ruby ring is one of my favorites on PS! The cupped milgrain border can certainly be thought of as adding a bit of protection to the halo. But I think it's really there more for aesthetic purposes.

So if I don't go for the milgrain, I should just go without the border? Do you think it would work with some other colored sapphires (maybe pink/padpar or yellow?) as the pears instead of diamonds ?

 

[Autumn in New England]

So if I don't go for the milgrain, I should just go without the border? Do you think it would work with some other colored sapphires (maybe pink/padpar or yellow?) as the pears instead of diamonds ?

I think it could work for any type of gem halo... but I do love the milgrain detail.

 

[Dreamer_D]

What are you calling “the border”?

 

[MatthewT]

What are you calling “the border”?

The like metal frame/cup around the outline of the diamonds with the milgrain (new word for me!). I'm considering padparadscha pears instead of diamonds not sure if it will work colour wise.