Calling all ruby opinions..

[Rubies-R-Me]

Hello everyone!
I know this is Monday morning "ruby quarterbacking" but.. I just purchased this second hand Tiffany ruby ring on Ebay. I love the style and the fact that it's in platinum and not 18k except for the prongs. I have been looking for one for a while and happily I felt the price was right on this ring compared to other rings I have seen. I'm going by the assumption that all of the stones are original to the ring. I posted in the "show me the bling" forum and now I'm going to post it here as well. I was hoping to get anyone's feedback on what they thought of the ruby. In previous posts of mine you are able to see things I have no idea about like saturation.. threads.. dead spots?.. windows? Hope I didn't make too many of those up! I really like the ring.. I know you all don't sugarcoat things so feel free to be honest.
I took the pics as close as I could get in indirect sun on my deck. Thanks in advance for any opinions..

 

[minousbijoux]

It is a very pretty ring. For some reason, the first thought I had when I opened up your thread was "bright." The ruby is a pretty bright red. I do see dark spots though, and can't tell if that's some sort of reflection, extinction, color zoning or inclusions? I wouldn't be surprised, though if what I'm seeing is a mixture of reflection/extinction. How do you find the color and clarity?

Of course as you know (since we say it all the time), you will not know what sort of treatment the ruby has had unless it has been sent, or you plan on sending it, to AGL. Tiffany is notorious for treated colored stones, so I would assume its probably Glass filled until proven otherwise. That said, it sure is pretty and looks awesome (and bright!) next to those white diamonds. Congrats, it looks like you've finally scratched your ruby itch - or have you?

 

[LD]

Very pretty ring.

Is the Ruby original to the ring? No idea and there's no way to tell.

Is the ring an original Tiffany? Again, no idea. Unfortunately there are TONS of fakes on Ebay. My personal starting point with Tiffany/Ebay is that it's a fake unless proved otherwise. I hope that doesn't sound too negative but I would never buy an expensive piece of jewellery that was purported to be from Tiffany unless I could authenticate it.

Is the Ruby good? I'm afraid Tiffany don't have a good track record with coloured gemstones and accept any and every treatment. The only way to know for sure is to send to a lab (AGL preferably) for a report.

With all of that said, it's a very lovely ring so if you haven't paid too much (ie you've paid non-Tiffany mark up prices and assumed a Ruby with treatment) then you've got yourself a great piece of jewellery.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I think the ring is beautiful. You have gotten good advise from the others, but I wanted to say the color is lovely. Good find.

Annette

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Thanks to Minous, LD and Annette for taking the time to give me your opinion!
I do agree that the color is lovely and very bright. All 3 stones just jump off my hand with sparkle.
As far as it being a genuine Tiffany ring - it looks like it's stamped correctly to my eye. Since I have spent hours (more than I care to admit! LOL) on Ebay trawling for Tiffany rings, I do feel that the hallmarks look like they should. I guess I will never know if the stones were replaced though unless I had a crystal ball though.
I am going to bring the ring to Tiffany in the next week or so to have it sized down so if the setting is not theirs I don't think they will work on it.
My only criticism of the ring is that I would have liked it to have been a bit bigger but no surprise that a larger center was exponentially more than what I paid. I didn't want to sink such a huge chunk of change into a ring that has some questions about it so I'm enjoying the daintyness of it and stacking it with other things.
Too bad that Tiffany doesn't sell rubies anymore.. I agree. Seems like there is a movement towards better relations with Burma (and maybe political reform there) so who knows what the future holds.
Anyway.. I'm glad nobody saw anything glaringly wrong with it and I'm willing to accept a treated stone so I'm happy.
Thanks again!

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Haahaaaa!! Looking at the pics again.. not sure about the Ruby being a fabulous one but one thing for sure.. my cuticles need some help!!

 

[chrono]

I've read that Tiffany no longer authentics their pieces so I have no idea how things are going to go when you bring the ring in for resizing. The picture doesn't not show the ruby clearly - I cannot see into the stone at all. The colour is better but who knows if it has been treated up the wazoo. You are willing to accept a treated stone but are you willing to accept a diffused, lead glass filled stone?

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

I have brought a few Tiffany and Cartier items into their respective stores to be either cleaned or sized. My understanding was that if it was not their merchandise they would return it without working on it. That wouldn't apply to the stones though.. just the setting in general. I also have heard that Tiffany recently changed their policy and won't write out valuation reports anymore unless you are the original owner and can prove it so I don't expect to get one.

 

[maccers]

I'm not a Tiffany girl, I don't own any pieces BUT I've always admired this ring from them -- my favorite, hands down. I didn't know they weren't setting rubies anymore.

Could you please post some pics of it on your hand? To give us a better sense of proportion?

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Hi Maccers!
Of course I can post more pics.. my pleasure..
Actually there is a whole thread on my ring on show me the bling. Here is the link..
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-tiffany-ruby-and-diamond-3-stone-ring.188281/#post-3430533#p3430533']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-tiffany-ruby-and-diamond-3-stone-ring.188281/#post-3430533#p3430533[/URL]

 

[canuk-gal]

Thanks to Minous, LD and Annette for taking the time to give me your opinion!
I do agree that the color is lovely and very bright. All 3 stones just jump off my hand with sparkle.
As far as it being a genuine Tiffany ring - it looks like it's stamped correctly to my eye. Since I have spent hours (more than I care to admit! LOL) on Ebay trawling for Tiffany rings, I do feel that the hallmarks look like they should. I guess I will never know if the stones were replaced though unless I had a crystal ball though.
I am going to bring the ring to Tiffany in the next week or so to have it sized down so if the setting is not theirs I don't think they will work on it.
My only criticism of the ring is that I would have liked it to have been a bit bigger but no surprise that a larger center was exponentially more than what I paid. I didn't want to sink such a huge chunk of change into a ring that has some questions about it so I'm enjoying the daintyness of it and stacking it with other things.

Too bad that Tiffany doesn't sell rubies anymore.. I agree. Seems like there is a movement towards better relations with Burma (and maybe political reform there) so who knows what the future holds.

Anyway.. I'm glad nobody saw anything glaringly wrong with it and I'm willing to accept a treated stone so I'm happy.
Thanks again!

HI:


I am curious....when did T & C stop selling rubies? Dates??

cheers--Sharon

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Hi Sharon!
From what I have been able to find out in the past it seemed like Tiffany stopped selling rubies somewhere between 1995 and 2005. I just searched it again and came up with this article which seems to say they stopped selling them in 2003.
http://www.jckonline.com/2007/10/18/reports-call-ban-on-blood-rubies
I would love to know for sure.
Maybe another poster will confirm a date for us. I hope so.
I took my ring to Tiffany yesterday and left it with them for sizing. They said it would take about 2 weeks.

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Ooh.. found some more information.
http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=1747
Interesting..

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Last one.. I promise!
Straight from the horse's mouth..
http://www.tiffany.com/CSR/Common/CSRPrint.aspx?mode=section&key=CSRResponsibleSourcing
Thanks for asking Sharon.. now I learned something too!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

R R M:

Thank you for your help! I found an estate T & C ruby ring--that had a relatively recent (reputable cert) with a Burma ruby.... it just begged the question.....

cheers--Sharon

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Ooooo.. where did you find it? Any pics? Do tell if you can!

 

[pregcurious]

It looks like a pretty ring, and I like the red color. Enjoy it!

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Thanks pregcurious.. I see you are a ruby lover as well!

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I love the red of your ruby. The ring is perfection!

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Thanks Lisa! I see you are a ruby connoisseur as well!!

 

[chrono]

Sharon,
No pics and no thread about your latest acquisition?

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

RRM & Chrono:

You guys are funny....I drawn more to the Cartier rings I have seen.....but am still in the looking phase.....

cheers--Sharon

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Hi Sharon!
I lovelovelove just about anything Cartier too!
Here is my current fave on Ebay.. way too big and way too $$$ but it's sure fun to look at.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cartier-18K-Yellow-Gold-Diamond-Ruby-Blue-Sapphire-Emerald-Wide-Band-Ring-/190823118960?pt=US_Fine_Rings&hash=item2c6df1b870
Love this one too.. however that big ruby in the front looks odd to me.. like an afterthought.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CARTIER-PANTHERE-Collection-Rare-18K-Gold-Diamond-Ruby-Band-Ring-Sz-6-/290752284174?pt=US_Fine_Rings&hash=item43b22fc60e
Do you agree?

 

[canuk-gal]

Hi Sharon!
I lovelovelove just about anything Cartier too!
Here is my current fave on Ebay.. way too big and way too $$$ but it's sure fun to look at.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cartier-18K-Yellow-Gold-Diamond-Ruby-Blue-Sapphire-Emerald-Wide-Band-Ring-/190823118960?pt=US_Fine_Rings&hash=item2c6df1b870
Love this one too.. however that big ruby in the front looks odd to me.. like an afterthought.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CARTIER-PANTHERE-Collection-Rare-18K-Gold-Diamond-Ruby-Band-Ring-Sz-6-/290752284174?pt=US_Fine_Rings&hash=item43b22fc60e
Do you agree?

HI:

I like both of those rings. I've drooled over them many times online and actually like the larger ruby in the Cartier ring. I found them on First Dibs.

I have expanded my searches to include VCA and Bvlagri Estate pieces as well. Most, unfortunately, do not have documents and one can only guess origins and treatments of the stones. Ho hum.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Haahaa! Maybe we can share that Cartier ruby ring! You get it M, W, and F, and I get it T, Th, and every other weekend. That sounds like a plan.
I look at Ebay ruby branded rings all the time and I feel exactly the same as you. It's such an unknown quantity.. very hard to put down a really big chunk of change for.
I also look at Bulgari and VCA as well as Tiffany and Cartier. It gives me so much pleasure to see what is new every day when I search.
So even though this Tiffany ruby ring is smaller than I wanted it was a price I was willing to pay for what might be an unknown stone. Everything else is twice or three times the price..

 

[canuk-gal]

Haahaa! Maybe we can share that Cartier ruby ring! You get it M, W, and F, and I get it T, Th, and every other weekend. That sounds like a plan.
I look at Ebay ruby branded rings all the time and I feel exactly the same as you. It's such an unknown quantity.. very hard to put down a really big chunk of change for.
I also look at Bulgari and VCA as well as Tiffany and Cartier. It gives me so much pleasure to see what is new every day when I search.
So even though this Tiffany ruby ring is smaller than I wanted it was a price I was willing to pay for what might be an unknown stone. Everything else is twice or three times the price..

HI:

Excellent--you can snap it up--and I will take the first 5 years of wearing it EOD (I promise not to wear not on my designated days and weekends!)...then send it to you! Not what you had in mind? Phooey....

Did you notice the significant price differences between those style rings and vendors on First Dibs? The sky is the limit it seems....

cheers--Sharon

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Or maybe we can cut the ring in half like Solomon!
What is "First Dibs?" Another auction website?

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Oh my goodness!! I just googled 1st dibs and WOW!!!!
What eye candy!!
Many of the same sellers as Ebay too.. interesting..
Thanks for the heads up Sharon.

 

[Rubies-R-Me]

Hi Sharon!
I hope you are still following this thread.
This just came up on Ebay today..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261211754594?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
I think it's so interesting that they kept the original receipt.
Thought you might find it interesting.. wonder how high it will be bid up.

 

[minousbijoux]

Hiya RRM! Just out of curiosity, I went to check out your latest "find." They certainly provide a boatload of documentation, don't they? The thing that I wonder about again is the level of treatment the ruby has (I wonder if its not GF, for example) as well as its true color. I say that because it appears to be flooded with light in many of the pics which then has the stone showing a gorgeous red, but not so much in the one photo on the second row that looks like it was taken in dimmer, perhaps more natural light...

But I am the first to admit that I so much admire you risk takers and acknowledge that I am risk averse enough to find things wrong with any potential bargains, lol!