First ruby purchase: yay, meh or nay?

[IcePhoenix]

Hello lovely PSers, hope you had/are having a good weekend. Today I would like to have your opinion on this tiny ruby I recently got off of ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VS-0-22ct-...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I know that the size is basically minuscule and the color is far from top, but I wanted to familiarize myself with a ruby and I thought "Heck, for 20 euros I might as well buy it". I trust the vendor (once he relisted an item because it was wrongly marked as unheated/untreated), bought from him before. I still don't have it in my hands so hopefully it's not too darker or different IRL

Again any opinion is appreciated, you can be as brutally honest as you want

 

[VividRed]

Hello there!

I think for 20 euros you can’t go wrong even buying glass. From the pictures it looks pretty and frankly whether or not it is treated (or synthetic), who cares? Again, 20 euros...

If it really is from Mozambique, chances are it is untreated (or heated at most, all the filled material rarely comes from Africa given the abundance of clean material).

Do you like it? Go for it

 

[VividRed]

Two remarks though:

1. Funny that out of 9 pictures, 7 are related to the vendor’s credentials LOL. In all fairness, this little ruby would not need 9 pictures so who cares..

2. It’s not top color, more like a deep pinkish purplish red. The combination or color and size can easily explain the low price.

Have a nice Sunday and happy shopping!

 

[IcePhoenix]

Hello there!

I think for 20 euros you can’t go wrong even buying glass. From the pictures it looks pretty and frankly whether or not it is treated (or synthetic), who cares? Again, 20 euros...

I know that 20 euros is basically pocket change when talking gemstone but a coloured shard of glass for 20 € is terribly overpriced

If it really is from Mozambique, chances are it is untreated (or heated at most, all the filled material rarely comes from Africa given the abundance of clean material).

Well, that gives a bit of peace of mind

Do you like it? Go for it

If the seller told the truth do you think is a fair price for that? Got a small deal or I overpaid?

 

[T L]

I suspect it will be heavily treated and/or look much worse IRL. Nice untreated rubies don’t cost $23. This seller can sometimes have very inaccurate vendor photos.

 

[IcePhoenix]

Yes I know, I will post pictures when it arrives. I searched him on here and I saw complaints about photos, but I bought many stones from him (nothing crazy expensive; priciest one was ~ 200$) and I haven't had much problems at least not big enough to warrant sending something back.
Is it totally impossible that the stone is untreated?

 

[T L]

It’s either untreated and looks like a pyrope garnet IRL or treated and looks like a dark ruby. He probably banks on people not testing such inexpensive gem purchases.

 

[voce]

I think it's very possible that the stone is untreated. Earlier this year I bought a 5x3 heat-only Burmese ruby for $30 from Litnon. Tiny gems don't move inventory that quickly, so they're steeply discounted. Your ruby is more about 4x3 in size, and for the non-ideal color, it's completely possible that you have something that's reasonably priced and affordable and untreated.

 

[VividRed]

If the seller told the truth do you think is a fair price for that? Got a small deal or I overpaid?

My point was that I don’t think you can really overpay if you spend 20€ was it a huge bargain? Probably not either but again, what matters if what YOU think about it when you see it. Hope you will love it!

 

[IcePhoenix]

It’s either untreated and looks like a pyrope garnet IRL or treated and looks like a dark ruby. He probably banks on people not testing such inexpensive gem purchases.

I once had a 15$ purple-pink sapphire (0.60 cts) certified by GLC through him and it came back as unheated/untreated confirming the listing. When I told him I wanted to buy the certificate he didn't try to say stuff like "oopsies I lost the stone" or "nah you don't need it for such a cheap gemstone". Like I know that he himself offers the certificates and makes a few dollars of profit out of them and that GLC lab provides basic certificate (Be treated stuff comes back only with the indication of heating), but at least it doesn't look like a total bait thing

 

[T L]

On eBay, I’ve gotten really lucky with spinels, tourmaline and sapphires, but that was ten years ago or more, and I never saw a ruby that wasn’t “fishy” to me for the price. Good luck though! I hope it pans out to be a good stone, and if not, it was only 23 Euros.

 

[IcePhoenix]

I think it's very possible that the stone is untreated. Earlier this year I bought a 5x3 heat-only Burmese ruby for $30 from Litnon. Tiny gems don't move inventory that quickly, so they're steeply discounted. Your ruby is more about 4x3 in size, and for the non-ideal color, it's completely possible that you have something that's reasonably priced and affordable and untreated.

Call me hopelessly hopeful but I'm cheering on you being right
Considering the colour and size maybe is not that crazy too hope so
Did you like the gem?[/QUOTE]

 

[IcePhoenix]

On eBay, I’ve gotten really lucky with spinels, tourmaline and sapphires, but that was ten years ago or more, and I never saw a ruby that wasn’t “fishy” to me for the price. Good luck though! I hope it pans out to be a good stone, and if not, it was only 23 Euros.

Damn, spinel and sapphire, that's too bad that 10 years ago I was in middle school. I would only buy from top rated sellers, preferably sellers that can send gemstones to labs. Of course I couldn't expect let's say a 3.5 cts tanzanite with top colour and clarity for 15 euros. The 30 days return window is nice as well

 

[IcePhoenix]

If you lovely people don't mind I will post pictures when it arrives so you can give me your opinion once again

 

[VividRed]

Of course!

 

[KLC]

I really hope it looks better than the stone I received from that seller. It was nowhere close to the vendor's pictures and video. That said, I've heard others had good luck with him. And even if you end up returning it, he was very quick to refund.

 

[IcePhoenix]

I really hope it looks better than the stone I received from that seller. It was nowhere close to the vendor's pictures and video. That said, I've heard others had good luck with him. And even if you end up returning it, he was very quick to refund.

Ohhh, I remember your thread and I have to admit the colour in dim lights didn't look bad per se (teal is a very attractive hue for me) "just" very different from pics but in the sunlight it looked washed out. There are few factors that give me (a maybe misplaced) peace of mind (30 days return, possibility of buying a certificate, good feedback, a lot of feedback). Let's cross our fingers am I right? I bought other stuff from him and I'm deciding whether or not to buy the certificate for 2 stones (star spinel thread)
Again I don't expect showstopping stuff, just some real stones to start my collection and maybe to have some simple jewellery made

 

[IcePhoenix]

Pic in various lights including in the setting sun, when seen in the normal light is darker. I don't know what to do, returning may mean 10-15 euros of shipping and it's not bad in direct light

 

[distracts]

That is about what I'd expect based on the vendor photo.

I keep all my weird little learner stones that I don't really like around and plan to one day do a multi-stone bracelet or necklace with them. I think together they'll be greater than individually.

 

[IcePhoenix]

That is about what I'd expect based on the vendor photo.

I keep all my weird little learner stones that I don't really like around and plan to one day do a multi-stone bracelet or necklace with them. I think together they'll be greater than individually.

I thought of a small ring with this ruby and a .37 tsavorite (pear) from the same seller. But I'll have to think about it

 

[IcePhoenix]

In the setting sun

 

[IcePhoenix]

This is the tsavorite btw
https://www.ebay.it/itm/0-37ct-5-2x...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

[chrono]

It costs far more to set these stones than the price of the stones. Consider it a learning stone and online buying experience in comparing actual versus vendor's beautiful pictures and move on.

 

[IcePhoenix]

It costs far more to set these stones than the price of the stones. Consider it a learning stone and online buying experience in comparing actual versus vendor's beautiful pictures and move on.

You are right, but I don't know if I will ever be able to afford stones more expensive than 500$ that are worth setting, so if I can get something cute and not overly expensive maybe I will

 

[chrono]

I'd save up for a nice stone instead of spending $20 here and there and end up not setting anything. There's labour cost for setting the stone, plus the cost of the setting itself to consider. There's plenty of beautiful stones in the less than $500 range. There's even a thread on it. Examples are tourmaline, garnet, and chrysoberyl.