Can I get some opinions on this ruby?

[chrono]

Have you seen the GIA lab report itself where the origin and PB colour is clearly stated?

 

[voce]

I followed the Etsy link, and the GIA certificate itself said pigeon blood and Burmese. It's not just the seller herself saying that the ruby she sold to Shijitake is pigeon blood.

 

[voce]

I would recommend waiting until you have the budget. You simply cannot get a reasonably sized, natural, unheated/untreated true pigeon blood red ruby for $1500.

I think the key here is size. The ruby is .51 ct. Plus, the seller doesn't usually sell expensive gems going by their other listings, so the price could be lower than what you might expect.

 

[Shijitake]

pokerface, even if I have the budget, I still wouldn't know what to look for. I'm starting to question what I learned about pigeon blood (and starting to feel like I'm losing my mind). I meant, what do you recommend in what to look for, what lab cert is best to trust, etc. I've seen rubies with just the slightest purple, and still not PB. This is so confusing.

chrono, it's 2175058312 https://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=2175058312&s=1540500799833

voce brings up a good point about the camera

 

[chrono]

What’s probably throwing us off is the giant window (depth less than 50% which is very shallow). With better cutting, it might look nicer but with the leakage, we’re seeing a lot of purple through the ruby. It’s likely to be red at the edges where it’s reflecting light. Just my guess.

Definitely interested in seeing the ruby now!

 

[pokerface]

Based on what info is GIA “more strict” with its labeling? They don’t have to be idiots to conform to industry standard, which in this case, may be lenient. I agree that you need to see the stone to properly evaluate. However, if you agree that you don’t really know what to look for, you probably shouldn’t be spending $1500 on a gem. Also, when a seller doesn’t usually sell expensive gems, sometimes it’s a way to get a deal, but more likely, a random pricy outlier is just not the best quality product.

 

[Shijitake]

I knew what I was looking for until you said this wasn't a pigeon blood. i said before I got a discount so it was 1271. And I said before, I looked through many rubies and the certificates they came with said many of them were PB, with the exception of GIA, which was rarer. I've already explained why I chose this ruby and the hang ups you have with it.

You're spending a lot of time telling me that this ruby isn't pigeon blood without giving any real help on how to look for a real one. Why not give me some real information instead of continuously telling me this isn't PB and too mediocre for its price?

A big budget would be nice, but I can get any ruby with that, like another ruby that isn't pigeon blood but a certificate says it is. I'm not looking for the best atm. It's not a great ruby, but it hits the criteria I'm looking for and is within my budget (and I don't care about size).

 

[Shijitake]

Good observation chrono!

 

[suzanne2]

https://www.gemobsessed.com/jewelry-trends/the-problem-with-pigeons-blood/

Excellent article! Thanks!

 

[qubitasaurus]

I second Chrono, I am looking forward to seeing photos .

 

[Seaglow]

I’m not thrown off by the window. Most stones with reports from reputable labs as Pigeon’s Blood are dark and shallow cuts lighten the stone up. Gem grade ruby roughs by nature are mostly flat. The best Pigeon Blood with lab report I’ve seen has a window but has very good crystal. The subject stone looks crystal enough. I’d wait to see actual hand shots because I could see a potential that it could be a nice stone. Rubies are difficult to photograph.

 

[Seaglow]

This is a depth reference on gem quality rubies. Fine rubies above a carat is rare, you would hardly see them in precision cut. Even for Western market, unheated and traditional heat rubies are recut only to make them look symmetrical (say a stone is cut lopsided). Most will be on the shallow side.

If you look at the stock of Asia Lounges, the crystalline rubies are on the shallow side.
https://www.asialounges.com/collections/the-ruby-lounge

 

[pokerface]

Curious if there is an update here. Do you think the ruby ended up being a good deal?

 

[Shijitake]

Sorry about the long long wait! It's cloudy lately and hard to have a day outside when it is sunny. And it was hard for me to hold the tweezer while trying to aim with a SLR. I have yet to transfer the SLR pics to my computers. But here's what I have with my point and shoot. It's a pretty clear, bright red ruby, purplish in some lighting.

I forgot to mention that what I found about pigeon blood- there are two types- traditional and trade name. I think the trade name is the one where the pigeon blood is almost pure red while the traditional has some purple.

I got this for $1270. I don't know if its a good deal (do you think it is?) but it's cheaper than the other ones I found. The seller also sent me a small blue sapphire. It's not the best quality/cut but it's a good enough stand in for the perfect one.

 

[princessandthepear]

How do you plan on setting your ruby? I quite like the color against your skin. It really is a gorgeous color!

 

[Shijitake]

Thank you! No plans on setting anything yet because of all my bills. I might just keep it loose. I love to look at my stones in their case and I get to see their pure color!

 

[Firman]

May i sharing my tough. 0.51ct unheated untreated with $1200+ it sound too much for me(sorry). Its not Investment grade even if it's burmese ruby. Looking for pre-owned stone and repolish will be smart choice next time you buy. Yes it will be took some times but it worth it. But gemstone at Japan country truely expensive. Don't know what to say, maybe because the culture

 

[Shijitake]

May i sharing my tough. 0.51ct unheated untreated with $1200+ it sound too much for me(sorry). Its not Investment grade even if it's burmese ruby. Looking for pre-owned stone and repolish will be smart choice next time you buy. Yes it will be took some times but it worth it. But gemstone at Japan country truely expensive. Don't know what to say, maybe because the culture

It was designated Pigeon blood by GIA so it's what I was looking for. It probably was too much but that's ok. It was the lowest pigeon blood price I could find. Couldn't really find any preowned ones or they were too much. I don't think I'll be buying another one. At least not any time soon.