In the old days, say ten years ago, a 7 carat ruby of any quality was a rarity.
RWW
I thought it is violet as 2nd hue that makes ruby a pigeon blood? Or is this because violet and purple are considered different shades in different countries/languages? If purple is the wanted 2nd hue then I can't see how pigeon-blood is a rare color? Most rubies are purplish red, no?Ruby with a purplish secondary hue fits one definition of pigeon's blood. I think you could say the range would be from a pure red to a slightly purplish red. A large percentage of heated Mong Hsu stones were exactly this color. Heating drove off some of the purple. Mozambique stones occur in, perhaps, the broadest range of hues of any source.
The discovery of vast quantities of this heretofore rare gemstones in Mozambique has radically altered the valuing equation. In the old days, say ten years ago, a 7 carat ruby of any quality was a rarity. Today Gemfields, the company that controls much of this vast track, is regularly offering rough at auction that will cut up to 25 carats. This was unheard of just a few years ago.