Interesting valuation from Jeweller!?

[GliderPoss]

Howdy all,

Just a small story i wanted your opinion on as I''m rather baffled myself...

I bought my .90 ct Ruby years ago, I didn''t know anything about gemstones, just picked it for the awesome fire engine red colour. It was brought (set in a ring) from reputable jeweller in Sydney but I didn''t pay a great deal ie. <$AU1000 (great sale that day).

Since then I''ve learnt so much from PS that I had come to accept that all things considered it was probably - treated in every unscrupulous way possible or it might be a spinel rather than an actual ruby. It doesn''t have great clarity - I''d say a SI1 at least.

Long story short - I sent it to my local jeweller (also certfied gemologist) to have it cleaned and mentioned my concerns, asked him to take a closer look and give me his professional opinion.

His repy was astouding - he advised me that "in his professional opinion" it was an excellent Burma ruby with amazing colour (no mention of treatments though...) and advised me to insure it for 5 times the price I bought it for!!!

So, I really am truly suprised and to be honest I struggle to believe him..... thoughts? Did I just get really lucky od does this guy have no idea what he''s on about...?

 

[DiamanteBlu]

Well, that''s pretty cool! You might want to get a professional appraiser [or at least another jeweler if you want to avoid the fee] to have a look.

You are going to post a pic for us, of course . . .

 

[GliderPoss]

Yeah i really need to get off my bum and post some shots so you can get a better idea. Sadly my hubby is a photographer so it''s not exactly as though we''re short of decent cameras lying about the place... just my laziness!

At the moment its in a boring plain gold claw setting - hoping to spice things up with some diamond trillions on either side and a thin diamond halo around the whole lot...

Cannot seem to find that particular combination anywhere so I''ll have to go custom made I suspect....

 

[AmberGretchen]

Wow - that sounds awesome!! I''d love to see pics of that baby

 

[chrono]

Well, I wouldn''t take him at his word unless he actually did some testing, rather than eyeball it. Did he put it under the microscope? Any use of other devices? If not, how can he tell it hasn''t been treated? Which then leads to the question of how can he tell the value of the stone without fully knowing of the lack of treatment?

I''m not trying to put your stone down in any way but I just don''t think one can say with any certainty the value of any gemstone by just eyeballing it.

 

[jewelerman]

Hey this was a good place to start!A free verbal from a certified gemologist seems to have done its job and got you interested in a written appraisal.let us know if the written matches the verbal!

 

[Harriet]

I''d get a second opinion first, preferably from a lab. I''m surprised that appraiser made the origin call so quickly. Also, since the stone was purchased from a reputable jeweller, chances are they knew what they were selling.

 

[GliderPoss]

He said he looked under the micoscope so hopefully he knows what he''s on about BUT I will take your advice and get a proper evaluation from a different jeweller to see if he''s right. Doesn''t really bother me how much it''s worth - mostly sentimetal value! Just was flabbergasted at his assessment. I''ll let you guys know what the results are and promise to post pics finally.

Thanks for your thoughts

 

[platinumrock]

How cool is that!! I''m really hoping that your jeweler is right, and it''s a rare Burmese ruby worth 5x what you paid for. It wouldn''t hurt to get a second opinion. Please post pics of that beauty!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 1/16/2009 8:32:12 AM
Author: Chrono
Well, I wouldn''t take him at his word unless he actually did some testing, rather than eyeball it. Did he put it under the microscope? Any use of other devices? If not, how can he tell it hasn''t been treated? Which then leads to the question of how can he tell the value of the stone without fully knowing of the lack of treatment?


I''m not trying to put your stone down in any way but I just don''t think one can say with any certainty the value of any gemstone by just eyeballing it.

Agreed. Unfortunately so many jewelers have no idea what to look for with colored stones that they often miss signs of treatment, etc.

Crossing my fingers for you though!

 

[marcy]

Sounds like a real beautiful ruby! Woo hoo!

 

[Harriet]

There are microscopes and there are microscopes. I''m glad you''re seeking a second opinion before shelling out for insurance. Good luck!