No heat Burmese ruby advice and comparison

[froufroutofu]

I'm being offered a 1ct no heat Burmese Mogok "pigeon's blood" ruby (GRS, also certified by SSEF but "red of strong saturation" without the pigeon's blood designation), set in platinum, for under $4K USD.

From seller:


From GRS cert:

I'm inclined to think that the color is gorgeous and that this is quite the deal! My main hesitations are

• I'd be buying it pre owned from an individual, I would buy it sight unseen and without a return policy (but through a large platform so not worried about getting completely scammed). I realize this is quite dangerous for colored gemstones where color is EVERYTHING, but also feel some reassurance from the certs. I feel I could probably resell it if needed.
• There's also a significant chip that isn't covered at all in the current setting. You can see it on the right side in the photo.
• There's a dark band across the center which is persistent in all the seller photos

Thoughts?

-------
As an aside, I was previously offered the following 1.74ct no heat Burma "red" 18K ring (GIA certified), also with a significant chip in the corner but hidden well by the prong. Would this have been the better deal? (I passed on it a few months ago and it was purchased by someone else already.)

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Nonono not with that chip! That’s very noticeable and the ring is no bargain if it’s got that chip. It is likely to be worth a lot less or at the very best has the chip built into the price already.

 

[Saphir]

Do you know the ruby measurents of the 2nd one?
Has it the same.price tag?
U can ask a cutter for recut the second stone and how much he think weight it will lost. I think when the stone is not to deep than u will lost on recut not more than 30-40% than u will get a little bit over 1ct ruby. Or look for an east African Ruby from Mozambique or Tanzania, than you get a little bit bigher stone woth better clarity but not so rare. Mozambique Ruby is an good Imvestment stone.

 

[froufroutofu]

Do you know the ruby measurents of the 2nd one?
Has it the same.price tag?

Sorry, I meant to include this information! The measurements were 7.75 x 6.90 x 3.55 mm so not too deep. I was offered the ring for ~$7000 USD.

Thanks for sharing your insights.

 

[LilAlex]

Not crazy, gotta say. Looks quite nice apart from the chip -- which I could probably live with. Would cost me > $2K just to make the ring without the ruby. Are the sides natural diamonds..?

Would be nice to get a lapidary's opinion on how conservatively that could (eventually) be re-cut -- like losing 0.1 vs 0.3 cts just for future planning. Not saying I would re-cut now but just back-of-the-mind stuff.

And does "1 ct ruby" mean 0.85 or 1.2 cts, for example?

EDIT: I am confusing my chips. Then first one also has a chip, seemingly, and that's what I was referring to.

 

[froufroutofu]

And does "1 ct ruby" mean 0.85 or 1.2 cts, for example?

It is 1.012ct so pretty close to exact.

Are the sides natural diamonds..?

Yes, for both rings these are claimed to be natural diamonds but I don't have weight or grading on them.

For the top one - I will check about a recut. I figured though it would be easy enough to reset into a bezel and not recut. But recutting is good to think about for future / reselling, though I feel the weight loss will likely make it not worth it, especially since it's on the skinny side of an oval.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Hello OP - Naturally, I couldn't tell you what to do, but I can just give my opinion as to what I would do. For me, no kind of "deal" would make this a worthy purchase. First of all, forget the GRS photo. They are always outrageously blown out with extraterrestrial saturation. Rest assured that the best that ruby is ever going to look (maybe) is how the seller has depicted it. So let's talk about that. The fact that it's Burmese means absolutely nothing to me. The allure of a Burmese stone is inherent in its fineness, and I don't believe this stone possesses it in any respect. Now of course, I can only go by what I'm seeing in the seller photo. The ruby looks dark, brownish/orangey, with lots of clarity issues, and then you have that large natural/chip. Does it fluoresce? That is something you definitely want to ask, because again, there's no point in buying Burmese if the stone doesn't glow. Lastly, I would always caution against buying without a return policy.

I think it's more likely than not that you would be disappointed with this stone, especially if you're relying on the GRS photo. To answer your other question, I do prefer the cushion stone (although I dislike the chip). Would you ever consider buying Mozambican or Tanzanian origin?

 

[froufroutofu]

I did connect with a lapidary about a recut of the first stone and they ultimately recommended against it. A factor in the decision was the nature of the inclusions and the chip, it wasn't a minor inclusion. Additional photo of the chip below.

I've heard knowledgeable folks tell me this is a great deal, and others recommend against it. I think I'll hold off for now -- it may actually be a good deal/value but since I'm not a dealer I'm just buying for personal pleasure. I don't need to buy this right away and it's not quite compelling enough for me. Thank you everyone, your perspectives did help greatly in informing my decision.

 

[Bron357]

I’d be tempted to buy the first ring. 4K is a fair price considering the setting. The ruby may be somewhat opaque in real life and it doesn’t seem overly fluorescent. Does it have a spot of blue in it?
The second one, no. It’s way too dark in tone, has a huge hunk out of it and has little to no glow.
A good Burmese ruby needs only a flicker of light to glow.
Lab reports are all well and good but being called “unheated Burmese” isn’t a guarantee of a superior gem.

 

[Avondale]

I've heard knowledgeable folks tell me this is a great deal, and others recommend against it.

That's because in this particular case it's all a matter of personal taste and willingness to compromise.

Last time I checked prices, fine unheated Burmese in the 1ct range were pushing upwards of $15k. The stone you showed is obviously way below that, and obviously because you have to make certain concessions in order to be happy with it.

It can be a good deal - but only if it's exactly what you want. Only if it scratches the itch for you, and only if its drawbacks don't bother you. Since most people would be very bothered by the chip, you're receiving advice against it.

 

[VividRed]

Late to the party but here are my 2 cents:

- 1st one has some potential but the vendor picture doesn’t blow my socks off, maybe ask for more pictures and a video?
- 2nd one is a hard pass, too included to give off the RED you are looking for in a ruby

 

[Saphir]

Tje 1st one is to small for recit woth this damage no way to me to buy. 2nd one would be good for recit woth minimal loss in to emerald cut or fantasy with 4 corners. But 7k is to much. I would look for other ruby rings or loose stone.

 

[froufroutofu]

Here's a video of the first ring - curious, does this change anyone's mind about anything?

I notice the persistent dark spot, but aside from that it does seem to have a nice glow. The seller also said it's "VERY" fluorescent.

https://imgur.com/a/mjbTKbY

 

[ShinyPink]

So many awesome people chiming in on this thread! I love reading all of this!

The setting is beautiful. The stone has that dark spot that makes it a no for me. It's been bugging me since you first posted. I'm not even picky - my rubies are far from ideal, but they're what I could afford and they're mine!

 

[Dreamer_D]

The setting alone would likely cost upwards of 2k alone. So if you live the setting and want a RING and not just a ruby, maybe it’s a good buy. But the Ruby doesn’t wow me. The inclusions aren’t creating a silky glow to my eye and the texture they are creating is unpleasant imo.

 

[VividRed]

Here's a video of the first ring - curious, does this change anyone's mind about anything?

I notice the persistent dark spot, but aside from that it does seem to have a nice glow. The seller also said it's "VERY" fluorescent.

https://imgur.com/a/mjbTKbY

To me, at 4k it’s a good deal. Others may disagree