Opinions on this ruby

[mamalovesgems]

I've been looking for a ruby approx 3 carats. I am looking for something lively with vivid color. I'm looking for opinions on this ruby and weighing going with a smaller stone that is more crystalline, knowing I'll switch from three stone ring (with oval side stones) that I really want to a halo for finger coverage.

Also, this stone isn't quite as elongated as most diamond ratios so the three stone shapes won't be a perfect match. Is that something to consider?

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[Rfisher]

I am looking for something lively with vivid color

If the vendor states it’s vivid
putting price aside - but really it can’t be-
I’d want to ask the vendor to put this stone next to a trade ideal vivid ruby for comparisons.
If it still makes you happy - you’ve met your vivid goal.

I'm looking for opinions on this ruby

I think it’s very very pretty -
I wouldn’t turn it down!

Without knowing price nor stats (lab report?) it’s hard to say much more just by these specific images with monitor varying.
I’d ask if it ever becomes more scintillating (loses some appearance of it’s silky/sleepiness) in certain lighting.
I think this ruby will have a few people here saying it’s too sleepy for their taste. Can’t see much of pavilion facets on the hand shot specifically.
Lively as your parameter of scintillation might not make it lively by definition to some. Opinions and all that.

weighing going with a smaller stone that is more crystalline

Any tradeoff besides size? And how much?
Color too?

hard saying without seeing - but seeing as I like sleepy/silky I’d say no- but it really does depend…….

Also, this stone isn't quite as elongated as most diamond ratios so the three stone shapes won't be a perfect match. Is that something to consider?

I think it’s a view by sight, case by individual case for judgement on the overall look. Imo.
Something to consider, surely especially if you already have the sidestones. If not - they can be found to be more similar LxW ratio.

 

[Avondale]

I like it. If I was offered this stone and it was within my budget when I was looking for a ruby myself, I'd have gladly bought it. Assuming it's accompanied by a lab report (otherwise you can't really be sure of the treatment).

It's a bit sleepy, yeah, but I love me a velvety stone.

If you're considering to compromise on size, do you have a smaller stone to compare it to? Or is it just a general thought at this point?

 

[Autumn in New England]

I mean... this is a gorgeous ruby. And being hand-picked by Inken, I'm not the least bit surprised. Color and clarity are great. If I'm being super duper picky, I'd say it looks a little shallow, so that might affect performance a touch combined with the silk. But really, this is a very fine stone. Do you feel comfortable sharing the price?

 

[mamalovesgems]

I mean... this is a gorgeous ruby. And being hand-picked by Inken, I'm not the least bit surprised. Color and clarity are great. If I'm being super duper picky, I'd say it looks a little shallow, so that might affect performance a touch combined with the silk. But really, this is a very fine stone. Do you feel comfortable sharing the price?

It's like 9.5X8.1 and yes, shallow. It's a CD report with rating of very good, vivid and pigeon's blood and it's fluorescent. It's within my budget ... below $30k

 

[mamalovesgems]

I like it. If I was offered this stone and it was within my budget when I was looking for a ruby myself, I'd have gladly bought it. Assuming it's accompanied by a lab report (otherwise you can't really be sure of the treatment).

It's a bit sleepy, yeah, but I love me a velvety stone.

If you're considering to compromise on size, do you have a smaller stone to compare it to? Or is it just a general thought at this point?

I don't have that smaller stone to compare it to. I would like more visible facets with more flashes coming from the stone but I really wanted a stone 9x7 minimum for a three stone ring.

 

[Autumn in New England]

It's like 9.5X8.1 and yes, shallow. It's a CD report with rating of very good, vivid and pigeon's blood and it's fluorescent. It's within my budget ... below $30k

I feel like we always need to compromise a bit (unless we are one of the lucky few who has no budget

). So it sounds like this gem has everything you want, except you'd maybe prefer a better cut/less silk. In that case, perhaps it would be wise to look at something a little smaller, as you said. Maybe a spready 2.5ct-ish stone? In any event, good luck! I'm sure Inken will be able to find your dream stone... she always does.

 

[mamalovesgems]

I feel like we always need to compromise a bit (unless we are one of the lucky few who has no budget

). So it sounds like this gem has everything you want, except you'd maybe prefer a better cut/less silk. In that case, perhaps it would be wise to look at something a little smaller, as you said. Maybe a spready 2.5ct-ish stone? In any event, good luck! I'm sure Inken will be able to find your dream stone... she always does.

Yeah, I'm sure she will find something great. This is a spready 3ct so it looks like a 4 ct. A spready 2 will also be shallow, so I won't get my excellent cut with that stone either.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Yeah, I'm sure she will find something great. This is a spready 3ct so it looks like a 4 ct. A spready 2 will also be shallow, so I won't get my excellent cut with that stone either.

You can find spready without it necessarily being shallow or windowed. But yeah, the cut might not be perfection. You'll get there!

 

[mamalovesgems]

If the vendor states it’s vivid
putting price aside - but really it can’t be-
I’d want to ask the vendor to put this stone next to a trade ideal vivid ruby for comparisons.
If it still makes you happy - you’ve met your vivid goal.


I think it’s very very pretty -
I wouldn’t turn it down!

Without knowing price nor stats (lab report?) it’s hard to say much more just by these specific images with monitor varying.
I’d ask if it ever becomes more scintillating (loses some appearance of it’s silky/sleepiness) in certain lighting.
I think this ruby will have a few people here saying it’s too sleepy for their taste. Can’t see much of pavilion facets on the hand shot specifically.
Lively as your parameter of scintillation might not make it lively by definition to some. Opinions and all that.



Any tradeoff besides size? And how much?
Color too?

hard saying without seeing - but seeing as I like sleepy/silky I’d say no- but it really does depend…….



I think it’s a view by sight, case by individual case for judgement on the overall look. Imo.
Something to consider, surely especially if you already have the sidestones. If not - they can be found to be more similar LxW ratio.

I think the lively part is the challenge, so I could keep looking or switch to a pad or blue sapphire and maybe find a better one in my budget. I know I could find a great cut, even precision cut in my budget for blue sapphire.

 

[mamalovesgems]

You can find spready without it necessarily being shallow or windowed. But yeah, the cut might not be perfection. You'll get there!

She says this one has no window. So there's that!

 

[Autumn in New England]

She says this one has no window. So there's that!

I think this stone was very cleverly cut to make the best of a shallow crystal. And I say that in a congratulatory sense. Kudos to that lap! And so it may not have what we'd consider a typical window. But I'm still detecting a loss of light through the center of the stone. So I feel like the shallow cut is hindering performance in some respect, and that might be what you're interpreting as a less lively stone. But it could also simply be that the silk is a little heavier than I initially assumed. Again though, this is a very fine ruby and I'm almost embarrassed to be so persnickety about it!

And it's below $30k!!

 

[Rfisher]

@Autumn in New England

I’d ask if it ever becomes more scintillating (loses some appearance of it’s silky/sleepiness) in certain lighting.

Does your gorgeous ruby do this, or is it consistent across different lightings?
Just curious and learning!

Sorry for the thread jack OP!
Hope you keep us posted on your search and best wishes on it

 

[Autumn in New England]

@Autumn in New England


Does your gorgeous ruby do this, or is it consistent across different lightings?
Just curious and learning!

Sorry for the thread jack OP!
Hope you keep us posted on your search and best wishes on it

Great question! My ruby is Mozambique and unheated. She does have a touch of silk, but is otherwise eye clean. She's well-cut (for a ruby) and never loses her pavilion facets. She scintillates in all lighting. That being said, are there more crystalline stones out there? Certainly. I should take a video some time. But the real reason I fell in love with her was the color. I desperately wanted a true red without any significant pink, purple, orange, or brown. I think I was just in the right place at the right time with this one. She's not perfect, but she's pretty darn close to my ideal ruby (if only she were 10x bigger ).

Here's a photo under indirect daylight:

 

[RRfromR]

@mamalovesgems I love your username

 

[LilAlex]

I really like it. Fine color, made me smile. I would not want a skinnier oval but I don't know what you have in mind. An already-spready stone in a rounded oval is a lot of "presence" for those dimensions and that carat-weight.

For a critical purchase -- your once-in-a-lifetime blue sapphire or ruby -- Inken is the most discerning representer of color and clarity with whom I've worked. I like crazy-vivid and she is candid about the limitations of whatever she shows me -- again, as @Autumn in New England says, you can't have everything. Well, and still be able to pay for it. I also know that I need to see it in the lighting environments that I care about before I can make a decision. Sometimes the weather does not cooperate. I don't have a ruby (spouse is not crazy about them although she loves pink sapphire) but it is the gem that intimidates me the most and I would not buy one without Inken.

 

[mamalovesgems]

Inken sent a new ruby for consideration. It's much clearer but also darker. What do you think? I'm still not seeing any flashes in the center of the stone. Maybe a cushion would have more brillance?https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https://youtu.be/s43zHG9_xKY&data=05|02||2e67bdc8a8294bec37ba08dc485b30e6|84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa|1|0|638464805188904289|Unknown|TWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0=|0|||&sdata=RXxZh8VI9R6kFxRhXVMOXnlQNJcfJTNqjlWGVjqbnic=&reserved=0

 

[LilAlex]

Two very different looks -- and both are potentially desirable. The new one is very crystalline. I don't think it's dark at all. The first one (at least in that new video) is very "glowy" and the new one lacks that but, of course, has greater clarity. I think it would help to see them side-by-side in the lighting environments that matter most to you.

 

[Avondale]

Agree with @LilAlex. Definitely ask to see more videos of the two stones in different light. Seeing how each performs next to the other will help you decide which one you prefer. I'm very curious to know how they look in the sun - you know those types of videos that are often taken of rubies, the stone in the shade being brought in direct sunlight to demonstrate how the fluorescence activates. After all, fluorescence is one of the big selling points for a ruby.

Also, I think the reason you perceive the second stone to be darker is also partially due to the window. It has a small window, but since it doesn't have silk to disperse the light inside, it goes straight through and the centre seems dark and lifeless. Setting it with white metal underneath should fix that and make it almost unnoticeable.

 

[mamalovesgems]

Great question! My ruby is Mozambique and unheated. She does have a touch of silk, but is otherwise eye clean. She's well-cut (for a ruby) and never loses her pavilion facets. She scintillates in all lighting. That being said, are there more crystalline stones out there? Certainly. I should take a video some time. But the real reason I fell in love with her was the color. I desperately wanted a true red without any significant pink, purple, orange, or brown. I think I was just in the right place at the right time with this one. She's not perfect, but she's pretty darn close to my ideal ruby (if only she were 10x bigger ).

Here's a photo under indirect daylight:

This is a beautiful, well cut stone. How did you source it and what is the size? Divine!

 

[mamalovesgems]

Inken sent a new ruby for consideration. It's much clearer but also darker. What do you think? I'm still not seeing any flashes in the center of the stone. Maybe a cushion would have more brillance?https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https://youtu.be/s43zHG9_xKY&data=05|02||2e67bdc8a8294bec37ba08dc485b30e6|84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa|1|0|638464805188904289|Unknown|TWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0=|0|||&sdata=RXxZh8VI9R6kFxRhXVMOXnlQNJcfJTNqjlWGVjqbnic=&reserved=0

@VividRed - Would like your opinion on these options as you seem to be very knowledgeable about rubies.

 

[Autumn in New England]

This thread has reminded me just how difficult it is to shop for fine rubies. And that's why having someone like Inken to sort through them is invaluable. I agree with everything LilAlex and Avondale said.

The 3.14 has a true medium tone, IMO. The silk is fairly heavy, but it's giving the stone some glow and the color is quite vibrant. The 3.25 is more of a medium-dark tone and much, much clearer. I do detect a window and, to me, it veers just the tiniest bit orange (compared to the 3.14 at least). I would venture a guess that the 3.14 fluoresces and the 3.25 not so much. I'm thinking, if these are both Mozambique, the first stone is from Maninge Nice and the second is from Muglotto (because it looks more Thai with a higher iron content). Purely conjecture, of course.

See, it's that sweet spot right in the middle of these two stones that causes the price to increase exponentially. That being said, these are two high-grade rubies, and I know Inken is working hard to give you everything you want while staying within your price range. So you'll likely have to decide which factors are more important to you if you'd like to stay on budget. I don't envy you... it's a tough decision! But both stones are lovely!!

P.S. I'm glad @VividRed was summoned... he's my ruby guru.

 

[VividRed]

@VividRed - Would like your opinion on these options as you seem to be very knowledgeable about rubies.

Hello

From experience, it might look a little less saturated in person. Ask Inken if the video accurately depicts the color she sees in person. She will tell you things as they are, you can count on that.

Personally, I find the color very appealing. The only minus is the lack of life in the centre of the stone. It’s not a window, but as others have pointed out it is a bit spready, so the light return is not optimal. For 8-9k/ct you can’t hope for a perfect stone in that size. Also, Inken’s prices are generally on the high side, but this one seems ok-priced, considering it is sourced for you. Can you find a better stone at the same price? Perhaps, but it might take a while. Buying rubies is hard.

Do you have the ability to evaluate the stone in person and return it should you not be convinced? There is no better judge than your guts.

good luck and keep us posted!!

 

[VividRed]

The 3.25 might be “purer” red but won’t be as bright as the 3.14, in my opinion

 

[mamalovesgems]

Thanks for the opinion @VividRed and @Autumn in New England - The stone with higher transparency is actually above my original budget by ~15k.

Inken prefers the 3.14 since the color is better in all lighting and fluoresces and the price is lower.

So I think seeing the silky ruby is likely the best idea and then I have the option to either go smaller, increase my budget or switch to a blue sapphire. A top color blue stone will likely be an easier find in my budget. But then I won't have my ruby (still)! I have waited years to get one and the prices have increased exponentially since 2016 when I first wanted one.

I don't know of anyone else who works as persistently to find stones as Inken, so that may be part of the expense. Are there any other vendors who source stones as well as her? I know the custom hand forged jewelers that are so popular here... don't want to source colored stones as much as Inken- I've tried before.

 

[VividRed]

Thanks for the opinion @VividRed and @Autumn in New England - The stone with higher transparency is actually above my original budget by ~15k.

Inken prefers the 3.14 since the color is better in all lighting and fluoresces and the price is lower.

So I think seeing the silky ruby is likely the best idea and then I have the option to either go smaller, increase my budget or switch to a blue sapphire. A top color blue stone will likely be an easier find in my budget. But then I won't have my ruby (still)! I have waited years to get one and the prices have increased exponentially since 2016 when I first wanted one.

I don't know of anyone else who works as persistently to find stones as Inken, so that may be part of the expense. Are there any other vendors who source stones as well as her? I know the custom hand forged jewelers that are so popular here... don't want to source colored stones as much as Inken- I've tried before.

For rubies the other person I know is Robert from National Gemstones. But he focuses on unheated Burmese and the prices are significantly above Mozambique material. Inken is great, but you pay for the concierge service.

 

[mamalovesgems]

For rubies the other person I know is Robert from National Gemstones. But he focuses on unheated Burmese and the prices are significantly above Mozambique material. Inken is great, but you pay for the concierge service.

Yes, just checked out that Nat'l Gemstone site. It's significantly higher for ruby. He has gorgeous pink and blue sapphire in my budget though. Does he gem hunt?

The stone offered in my budget is below $8k/carat. That seems fair to me. What seems to be an acceptable rate $/ct for this quality?

 

[Autumn in New England]

Thanks for the opinion @VividRed and @Autumn in New England - The stone with higher transparency is actually above my original budget by ~15k.

Inken prefers the 3.14 since the color is better in all lighting and fluoresces and the price is lower.

So I think seeing the silky ruby is likely the best idea and then I have the option to either go smaller, increase my budget or switch to a blue sapphire. A top color blue stone will likely be an easier find in my budget. But then I won't have my ruby (still)! I have waited years to get one and the prices have increased exponentially since 2016 when I first wanted one.

I don't know of anyone else who works as persistently to find stones as Inken, so that may be part of the expense. Are there any other vendors who source stones as well as her? I know the custom hand forged jewelers that are so popular here... don't want to source colored stones as much as Inken- I've tried before.

I think that sounds like a plan! You can view 100 photos and videos of a stone, but ultimately, you need to see it in person to really get an idea of its nuances. You'll know pretty quickly if she's speaking to you or not. And then go from there! Good luck and let us know how you make out!!

 

[mamalovesgems]

I got then stone in person and did not love it. The center of the stone was just flat, with no light reflecting back at me. I'm not loving the lack of brilliance in so many rubies in the marketplace.

I find blue sapphires to be more sparkly. Anyway, I'm been offered another stone- please let me know your thoughts.

This one is smaller but unheated and has pink flashes, the certificate says the color is "red." The last stone was pigeon blood which was pretty accurate, lovely and bright in the sun, flat indoors.

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@VividRed @Autumn in New England

 

[Autumn in New England]

I got then stone in person and did not love it. The center of the stone was just flat, with no light reflecting back at me. I'm not loving the lack of brilliance in so many rubies in the marketplace.

I find blue sapphires to be more sparkly. Anyway, I'm been offered another stone- please let me know your thoughts.

This one is smaller but unheated and has pink flashes, the certificate says the color is "red." The last stone was pigeon blood which was pretty accurate, lovely and bright in the sun, flat indoors.

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@VividRed @Autumn in New England

My favorite thus far for sure!!! If it looks anywhere near as good in person as it does in that first vid, it's a winner. I personally dislike rubies that veer too far pink (some folks love them, and that's perfectly fine). But this one definitely looks RED with pink flashes, as you said.