Does this stone have a large window?

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'm seriously considering getting a red spinal instead - with my budget I don't think I'm going to be able to find a nice ruby.

This stone is outside of my budget, but is this what I should be looking for in terms of clarity and transparency? I'm not sure about the colour - does it have a hint of pink?

storage.googleapis.com/vskstorage/i/v/2MZUH01501.mp4

that link doesn't work

 

[Avondale]

that link doesn't work

That should make it easier for everyone:

https://storage.googleapis.com/vskstorage/i/v/2MZUH01501.mp4

(I believe new accounts have their posts held for approval if they contain links now.)

 

[Avondale]

This stone is outside of my budget, but is this what I should be looking for in terms of clarity and transparency? I'm not sure about the colour - does it have a hint of pink?

Look, if you try to abide by what everyone here says, you won't be able to find a reasonably priced stone anytime soon. PSers can have very exacting standards and express their opinions very decisively but that doesn't mean a stone which is silky (for example) is necessarily a bad purchase.

When you're shopping on a budget, you'll need to make certain compromises. You'll have to decide which attributes of the stone matter most to you and where you can afford to be more lenient. Just because a certain gem has flaws doesn't mean it's not a good purchase for you.

In that sense, don't think of critical feedback as meaning not to buy a stone. Take it as people pointing out the flaws that your eye may not be experienced enough to spot by photo alone, so that you know of their existence and can make an informed decision.

For example, the stone in the video appears to have very crystalline body (good) but a very shallow cut, hence a window (bad). The crystalline body makes the gem more lively as light can freely bounce around inside it unobstructed. But on the other hand the window hinders that process because it means the light is passing straight through without being reflected, thus you lose out on a lot of sparkle.

Does that mean that this is a bad stone? No. It's just balance of merits and flaws.

For the record, on my screen it seems to lean just a bit orange. Colour perception is one more thing you have to take with a grain of salt. Different screens, different eyes.

 

[toomuchB]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'm seriously considering getting a red spinal instead - with my budget I don't think I'm going to be able to find a nice ruby.

This stone is outside of my budget, but is this what I should be looking for in terms of clarity and transparency? I'm not sure about the colour - does it have a hint of pink?

storage.googleapis.com/vskstorage/i/v/2MZUH01501.mp4

Looks windowed to me. The color is nice imo if it usually looks like that and doesn't darken up (I'd want an image in less flattering light) and I don't see pink on my monitor.


This one has potential, 11k and they do 15-20% off sales sometimes. But I'd ask what that inclusion is at the bottom, might be a crack.

Special 2.06 Cart Hot Red Spinel Gem, Mahenge Material, Cushion Cut, 8.59 x 6.75 x 4.31 mm with GIA Report

Seller of high quality loose gemstones, diamonds, jewelry, findings and mountings

www.africagems.com

 

[lucyc]

What sort of pictures should I be requesting? The stones look completely different depending on the lighting and whether it is between tweezers or on the hand. If I want to see how dark a stone gets would it need to be photographed in low lighting?

I’m considering a stone that’s already set but for the life of me I cannot make out anything regarding the clarity of the stone. I’ve requested clearer pictures but to determine the real colour of a stone are outdoor or indoor photos more accurate?

 

[Avondale]

The stones look completely different depending on the lighting and whether it is between tweezers or on the hand.

Exactly.

If I want to see how dark a stone gets would it need to be photographed in low lighting?

Yep.

to determine the real colour of a stone are outdoor or indoor photos more accurate?

You need both.

What sort of pictures should I be requesting?

All of them.


Are you properly confused yet?


The simple, factual reality is that most stones will look different depending on the light they're viewed in. They'll look one way under the sun, a different way in the shade, and might even become unrecognisable under soft incandescent light in the evening.

When buying online, getting multiple images that show how the stone looks under different conditions is going to be very helpful and will allow you to build a more complete mental image of the actual stone you'll expect to receive. And even with all that, it's always going to be a little bit different because cameras and screens cannot compensate for what only the eyes can see in person.

I’m considering a stone that’s already set but for the life of me I cannot make out anything regarding the clarity of the stone.

That comes with experience. Browse around PS, look at the different stones here. Also browse IG, Etsy, try to look at as many stones as you can. When you're not certain what you're seeing - ask here, people will gladly assist. In time you'll learn to spot the signs and interpret the images.

 

[lucyc]

Will this ruby darken significantly once set? The certificate says deep red - I usually find deep red stones too dark but I don’t mind the colour in this one. It has a Bellerophon certificate - are their colour gradings more consistent than GRS?

 

[VividRed]

Will this ruby darken significantly once set? The certificate says deep red - I usually find deep red stones too dark but I don’t mind the colour in this one. It has a Bellerophon certificate - are their colour gradings more consistent than GRS?

I would say yes, it will look dark(er) once set. And it will certainly not look like it does on this picture when looked at in natural daylight. This is a tweezer picture with ideal (incandescent) light. Ask for pictures in natural daylight, it won’t get close to what you see now.

 

[lovedogs]

Will this ruby darken significantly once set? The certificate says deep red - I usually find deep red stones too dark but I don’t mind the colour in this one. It has a Bellerophon certificate - are their colour gradings more consistent than GRS?

I think this will be very dark once set

 

[lucyc]

Does this look like a ruby or a pink sapphire? The GRS certificate says pinkish red ruby but it looks more pink than red to me.

 

[VividRed]

Does this look like a ruby or a pink sapphire? The GRS certificate says pinkish red ruby but it looks more pink than red to me.

Definitely a ruby in my book I would say 60% red, which some might call magenta.

It does have a rather noticeable window though…

 

[Avondale]

Second that, this is undoubtedly a ruby. It would need to be a good deal lighter to reach the area where the pink sapphire overlap begins.

 

[toomuchB]

Agreed, it reminds me of this, AGL pink-red (ruby):

Georgian Cushion Cut Burma Ruby and Diamond Ring, 3.12 ct

A breathtaking 3.12 ct unheated Burma Ruby, bezel-set in 18K gold & silver with antique table-cut diamonds. This Georgian-era treasure is now available with Jogani.

jogani.com

Compared to a AGL purplish reddish pink (not ruby):

Step Cut Ceylon Sapphire Ring, 7.36 ct

This no-heat, 7.36 ct Ceylon sapphire ring is a masterpiece of rarity and elegance. Available only at Jogani, where fine gems meet discerning collectors.

jogani.com

 

[toomuchB]

OP, maybe this site's catalogue will help you understand what you are seeing better because there is a range of quality and prices and they all have the same photography method with videos in the listings.
You can compare the 'look' of the silky 2ct pears at 13k vs the crisper 2.14ct pear for 28k vs the several cleaner 1cts for 7-10k, and they even have a small pinkish one.
I think it would be exponentially more difficult to 'see' various qualities like silk when presented with totally different lighting situations and photography across multiple sellers.

Natural Loose Rubies For Sale | Fine Rare Ruby Gemstones

GIA gemologist selected fine loose Mozambique Ruby gemstones for sale. Looking for a fine untreated Ruby? Heat and No Heat, unheated fully certified rubies at The Rare Gemstone Company.

www.theraregemstonecompany.com

 

[toomuchB]

OP, another potential lead... but maybe not that good.
I believe (double check!) that there are positive reviews on this board for this dealer for their diamonds: https://www.instagram.com/fancycolor_diamonds/

They have fairly accessibly priced no heat rubies/other CS from time to time. Usually smaller less expensive stones.

They recently posted this one, which is 1.75ct 6.3k unheated GRS. I think its a bit dark outside of the daylight (?) videos and has a moderate window. A bit of a garnet vibe. Hence the price. I don't recommend it to you.

But, since they seem to occasionally deal with rubies at more affordable prices they may be worth contacting with budget/preferences. Your budget is much higher than 6.3k, you never know, maybe they can pull something really nice out with minor flaws that are acceptable to you, to keep the stone in-budget.

Note - their site says they DO NOT accept returns and leave the potential for exchange ambiguous (when you click on 'Returns & Exchanges' there is no reference to exchanges - only that they don't do returns), which is a problem if you can't see it in person before buying - and they are located in Hong Kong, so.... But many of the stones you've posted and asked about here seem like they come from random sellers on IG who probably don't have a great return policy anyway (just a hunch, maybe I am wrong).

 

[lucyc]

I think I may have found something that I want to buy. It’s completely crystal and eye clean and I like how it looks on the hand, but should I expect this to darken significantly once set? I plan on putting a halo of diamonds around it. Does it look slightly orange?

 

[Autumn in New England]

I think I may have found something that I want to buy. It’s completely crystal and eye clean and I like how it looks on the hand, but should I expect this to darken significantly once set? I plan on putting a halo of diamonds around it. Does it look slightly orange?

The clarity does look great indeed... it's a pretty stone. Do you know under which lighting these photos were taken? I would ask to see a video outdoors, but not in direct sun. I would expect it to be darker than these photos suggest. With regard to an orange modifier... perhaps a slight one, not too terrible. I'd worry more about the tone. I can also tell you that this guy likely won't fluoresce much. Not sure how important that is to you. A video will tell you more about the cut too. I can't tell if there's a window or not by these photos. I love the cushion shape.

 

[lucyc]

The clarity does look great indeed... it's a pretty stone. Do you know under which lighting these photos were taken? I would ask to see a video outdoors, but not in direct sun. I would expect it to be darker than these photos suggest. With regard to an orange modifier... perhaps a slight one, not too terrible. I'd worry more about the tone. I can also tell you that this guy likely won't fluoresce much. Not sure how important that is to you. A video will tell you more about the cut too. I can't tell if there's a window or not by these photos. I love the cushion shape.

This was taken outdoors, it was actually a video but I don’t seem to be able to upload videos so I took a few screenshots. I don’t think it was in direct sunlight but I will check. I’ve been told this piece doesn’t have a window but you are right - it doesn’t have any fluorescence so it’s likely to look a bit dull under certain lighting.

There was another ruby I was considering - it’s an oval and I believe the colour is brighter, this one does have fluorescence although I’m not sure how much. It’s the ruby on the left in the hand picture. It is also crystal and eye clean however the pavilion is really crooked which bothers me. The oval has a small window but I have been told it will close once set and looking at it on the ring tweezer it does seem to disappear. This one is slightly cheaper than the cushion, it’s 2.03 carats vs 2.17 for the cushion.

They are from different vendors so I haven’t been able to get comparison pictures of them together. Which do you think is the better ruby?

 

[Autumn in New England]

This was taken outdoors, it was actually a video but I don’t seem to be able to upload videos so I took a few screenshots. I don’t think it was in direct sunlight but I will check. I’ve been told this piece doesn’t have a window but you are right - it doesn’t have any fluorescence so it’s likely to look a bit dull under certain lighting.

There was another ruby I was considering - it’s an oval and I believe the colour is brighter, this one does have fluorescence although I’m not sure how much. It’s the ruby on the left in the hand picture. It is also crystal and eye clean however the pavilion is really crooked which bothers me. The oval has a small window but I have been told it will close once set and looking at it on the ring tweezer it does seem to disappear. This one is slightly cheaper than the cushion, it’s 2.03 carats vs 2.17 for the cushion.

They are from different vendors so I haven’t been able to get comparison pictures of them together. Which do you think is the better ruby?

Despite the window, I can already tell you I prefer this stone! Just make sure the photos/videos he's sending you are in daylight. Bright incandescent lighting can really enhance rubies.