bicolor ruby-sapphire or bicolor sapphire

[dm-smith]

I found something interesting from thegemtrader, they called it ruby/blue sapphire
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Very-Rare-Fine-Faceted-Gem-RUBY-Blue-SAPPHIRE-Winza-Tanzania-/121442898861
is it just me or the stone looks pink-blue rather than red-blue. Correct me if I'm wrong, pink corrondum is called pink sapphire instead of ruby. I found this stone after hitting the "Click Here for Our Latest Round of eBay Auctions!" button in thegemtrader website.

 

[LoversKites]

The lines are blurred between pink sapphire and ruby.
This was discussed a few times here but its always interesting to bring it up again

Heres an article by Richard Hughes: http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/ruby_sapphire_borders.htm

I think different people have different opinions about it.

 

[LD]

If you're in Asia, pink corundum is often called Ruby. If you're in Europe, Ruby has to be red (not pink).

 

[Marlow]

If you sell it it is a ruby - if you buy it it is a pink sapphire

 

[chrono]

Yup, vendor calls it Ruby and sells for more and buys it as Pink Sapphire for less. But on a more serious note, I've noticed more pinks are called ruby in Asia.

 

[Marlow]

Yes - I had sometimes discussion with Sri Lanka dealers - the offer ( extremely fine and beautiful) hot pink super saturated sapphire as ruby. In Sri Lanka it is ruby...and expensive!!!

You know they pics in R. Schlüssel "Mogok" book ( pink and padparadscha) - page 216 no 3,6,7

 

[Lee Little]

Nice to see natural bi-color Corundum that didn't have beryllium heat.
When speaking English, logic dictates that any color, regardless of saturation, is still that color, even when pale, but simply with the word 'light' placed before it, right? Light blue, light green, light yellow etc. Wrong. No such thing as 'light red' (pink) or 'light black' (gray). Every language has its' flaws.

 

[minousbijoux]

Nice to see natural bi-color Corundum that didn't have beryllium heat.
When speaking English, logic dictates that any color, regardless of saturation, is still that color, even when pale, but simply with the word 'light' placed before it, right? Light blue, light green, light yellow etc. Wrong. No such thing as 'light red' (pink) or 'light black' (gray). Every language has its' flaws.

Nice perspective, Lee. Thanks.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Also, strange as it may sound, different cultures often divide the colour spectrum differently. We think in terms of 6 colours (because no one really thinks of "indigo" as a separate colour and Newton pushed that one because his metaphysical views that thought of 7 as a perfect number). Some cultures differentiate as little as 3 colours (Homer's "wine dark sea", for example, was certainly not red!), others don't separate greens and blues (Japanese culture, until recently) and I remember reading of one African culture that saw "yellowish green" as a completely different colour from "Bluish green".