Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire?

[Imdanny]

By Sapphire, I mean dark blue.

I don't know why these stones became "the big 3."

Actually, I'd be interested in knowing, not only which one you would choose if you had to choose one, but any theories or opinions about why these 3 became the most famous colored stones.

Thanks.

 

[Barrett]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Emerald because for all intents and purposes they shouldn't even exist.

 

[T L]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Fine old mine Muzo Colombian emerald. What I wouldn't give to have Elizabeth Taylor's suite that is going up on the auction block this fall.

 

[colormyworld]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

.



any theories or opinions about why these 3 became the most famous colored stones.

Thanks.[/quote


Before people developed the methods to separate different gems into their respective categories. All blue stones were sapphires, all red stones were rubies and all green stones were emeralds.

 

[Imdanny]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Emerald because for all intents and purposes they shouldn't even exist.

Ok but

 

[Barrett]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

? but what?

 

[LD]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Crikey what a choice!

You've specifically said "dark blue" sapphire - so that would rule that out for me. Now if you say "the blue that rocks your world" sapphire then I'd think twice!

Fine Emeralds are stunning

Rubies can be rich and sumptuous!

If there were top specimens of all three in front of me, I honestly don't know which I'd favour. Can I have all 3 and let you know?

 

[kenny]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

I'd kill to have in front of me examples of the finest emerald, ruby and blue sapphire so I could competently answer your question Danny.

I'd probably spend some money.

I voted blue sapphire but I wonder if I'd change my mind after seeing the finest examples of all 3.

 

[kenny]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Emerald because for all intents and purposes they shouldn't even exist.

Why do you say that?

 

[Saoirse2]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

A nice intense Ruby for me.

 

[jstarfireb]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

I don't like emeralds (too included) or rubies (not a fan of red/pink, also often opaque or included), so I picked sapphire. I'm honestly not a huge fan of any of these, though. Give me a garnet, spinel, or tourmaline any day.

 

[slg47]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

kenny I was thinking the same thing. I have never seen really good examples of all three in person (sadly...have also never seen 'bad' examples!)

 

[NKOTB]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Although blue and red are my favourite colours, I would probably have to pick emerald because of the glow factor. Lisa Elser has one on her site that I had the pleasure of seeing in person, and it was really striking. I also bought a little lot of small emeralds from Dana recently, and though some of them are tiny, the colour packs such a powerful punch!

 

[Arkteia]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

I think they became the big three because in old times, when they could not cut stones very well, many were cut in cabochons, and these three look beautiful even as cabs. Unlike diamonds (or Paraibas, I am quoting recent post by Amguy), their beauty is less dependent on a cut, if the material is good, of course. I saw old robes of cardinals and Pope in Vatican, and lots of church robes in other museums, and most of these stones are cut en cabochons, and they are beautiful! I am not sure that all our garnets would look so well with such primitive cuts. I saw old tourmalines being cut in cabs, and they did not look so beautiful. I think that hardness plays a certain role, at least for corundum.

Just my guess, and probably the real answer is totally different.

As to my choice, even as a child, I liked red and blue. Clothes, toothbrushes, shoes, everything. But it is hard to find flaming red without too much pink or orange in it, and it is probably too expensive, and I do not like the famed "pigeon's blood" color. Hence sapphires.

 

[mrs taylor]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Back in the day I think it may have had something to do with alchemical properties of the stones as well. At least that's my guess. They all were believed to have certain powers, which gave them a purpose. Not that this is necessarily scientific for us, but for many long ago it was!

I picked sapphire. I adore my ruby but by and large I do not adore the ones I see most anywhere else. I do love a good emerald, but I could wear sapphires all day long, each and every day and never get enough.

 

[pregcurious]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

I love red, so I picked ruby. I am equally enamored with red spinels, but they're hard to come by.

I would be happy with any of the three if its a good specimen.

 

[Pandora II]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

There used to be more than the big 3 - until the end of the 18th Century the BIG stones were diamond, emerald, ruby, sapphire, amethyst and pearls. (Would need to check, but I have a feeling that Hyacinth (now known as Zircon) and Opal were also amongst them)

This was due to a combination of colour, rarity - but a decent supply - and durability. Corundum (sapphire and ruby) is pretty tough and hard.

Sapphire is the best of the blue stones and while truly fine stones are rare, they are available in sufficient quantities to satisfy market demand.

Most red stones were considered to be rubies -especially spinels which have a similar chemistry: magnesium aluminium oxide while ruby is an aluminium oxide, and both are coloured by the rare element Chromium. During the growth of crystals, ruby is only created once the supply of magnesium runs out and so spinel is generally found in greater quantities in the area. The Burmese knew the difference early on, but it was in their interests to sell everything as ruby.

Until amethyst was found in Brazil at the end of the 18th century, it was extremely rare and value per carat was on a par with that of diamond. It was the finest of purple stones and thus sought after by the church and royalty.

Emerald was basically the only green stone available - tsavorite wasn't discovered until 1969.

Pearls were super-rare until the introduction of cultured pearls in the 20th century.

If I had to choose and it was between a superb example of each, I would be torn between a sapphire and a ruby, but possibly go for the sapphire. If I have to have a dark blue sapphire then I will have the ruby!

ETA: Emerald shouldn't exist because the chemical elements needed to produce emerald are not found in the same places and it needs very specific geological phenomena to bring them all together and even then that doesn't guarantee that emerald will form.

Also, in the 18th Century, they were perfectly capable of cutting stones with good proportions - people today are still using some of the same equipment, some lapidaries are just more skilled than others.

Some interesting books on these topics are Kunz's "Lore of Gemstones", and Edwin Streeter's "Precious Gems"...

 

[Barrett]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Emerald because for all intents and purposes they shouldn't even exist.

Why do you say that?

Thank you Pandora for helping explain that.

Here is a portion of a little snippet I wrote on FB concerning emeralds when discussing them:

Emeralds occurances/emeralds are very rare and strictly speaking they should not even exist at all. The two main components that help define an emerald by chemistry are beryllium and chromium/vanadium(imparts deep green color) and rocks that typically contain chromium/Vanadium do not generally contain beryllium and vice versa, and are therefore not condusive to emerald formation. During earths formmtion Beryllium(beryl) found it's way to the earths crust meanwhile chromium moved down into the earth mantle. Only the most unusual , violent, and rare tectonic activities could shift things around enough to bring those two together.
Chromium came from the magma in the silica milk first, during formation, and beryl came dead last. Not only do Chromium and Beryllium not come in the same type rock but when they "settle" out of the fluid chromium comes first then beryllium comes last..so all the junk thats in the middle gets deposited between chromium and beryllium. They formed at opposite ends of the crystalization sequence. Emeralds are found where these two ends are mixed..which is a very rare occurance. All emerald deposits that are from pegmatites(not colombian or north carolina) only have emeralds near the very edges where those two meet. You can find giant beryl crystals near the center of pegmatites but onyl small itty bitty(typically) emeralds near the edges. If chromium was not on the the first things to settle out of the crystal sequence and beryllium the last then we would have huge emeralds as commonplace from these mines.
Therefore, emeralds are very rare. As if those conditions are not enough to make emerald rare ..LOL..chromium atoms are much bigger than the spaces in the crystal lattice of beryl so they don't fit into the picture very well. Big chromium atoms trying to squeeze into a space much smaller than it. This is one of the reasons that 99% of all emeralds have inclusions. Stress on the stone from the chromium atoms creates "jardin" and flaws.(this idea is theorized and I don't think it has been 100% proven but I personally agree with it)) The fact they contain both is crazy since geochemically the two elements(beryllium and chromium) are incompatible. Doesn't really work. Trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

 

[Pandora II]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Thanks Amguy - I was feeling too lazy to write a full explanation!

 

[Barrett]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

I figured as much Pandora ..I had it already written out someplace else where I had explained it previously so it was just a simple "copy+paste" for me..i did add a little but though after I pasted it

 

[Justin_Cutter]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

As most know I love Sapphire. But since I was limited to only Dark Sapphires I went with Emerald. My idea of a "dark" sapphire is the sapphire in the Princes Diana ring, which I honestly don't care for at all.

I have had the pleasure of seeing top quality Emeralds IRL and let me tell you the intense "glow" is staggering! But if I had the best of all three to compare I am sure I would pick a bright and strong colored sapphire. I personally gravitate toward the color blue. Always have.

~Justin

 

[marcy]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

I voted sapphire. The dark blue is my least favorite sapphire but sapphires are my favorite gemstone.

 

[zoebartlett]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

I voted sapphire before I read that you mean a dark blue one. I'm not crazy about dark blue stones, especially if they're almost black.

 

[Imdanny]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Thanks to everyone who voted and commented- awesome!

To clarify- no, I didn't mean the sapphire had to be as dark as Diana's engagement ring sapphire appears to be in pictures, I just meant "dark" blue as a way to say "what people conventionally think of when they think of sapphires" because as we all know they come in many different colors. I'm sorry I wasn't more clear about that.

Personally, the sapphire in Justin Cutter's avatar is the color I think of when I think of "blue sapphire."

BTW, if anyone could compare the cost of emeralds, rubies, and sapphires (like, if a jeweler a jeweler offered any of three in the same piece, how do you think the prices/ qualities used might compare?) I'd appreciate that. Thanks.

 

[ciciban]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Well, I can't make up my mind. Depending on my mood, what day it is or even what time of the day, I love both emeralds and rubies. I love alternating them on daily basis or weekly basis. The green glow gets me every time, especially in the evening, it's a mesmerising stone. And rubies, oh the rubies, just looking at them warms me, the fire within, they are magical. Rubies and emeralds evoke emotions in me.

 

[Barrett]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Come on emerald...you are falling behind...you can do it........
Time for a pep talk or maybe even a pep rally

 

[kt]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Oops I voted "sapphire" before I read it specifically meant "blue" (dark or otherwise)...I love sapphires specifically be/c they come in so many colors, and of course their durability. But I do really love blue, too, so I guess I'd pick Sapphire no matter what. But i'd never limit myself just to the one color!

 

[Imdanny]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Come on emerald...you are falling behind...you can do it........

LOL!

Great pictures. Thanks.

 

[Pandora II]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Three stones of same size, quality and all extremely fine - the sapphire will probably be the cheapest, the ruby possibly the most expensive. Not sure about Emerald pricing - but a lot!

One thing is for sure, a top stone of any of the three with blow the price of a white diamond out of the water. Hence why I laugh when I hear people say that they'll 'settle' for a ruby till they can 'upgrade' to a diamond...

A 2ct exceptional ruby, untreated from Mogok, Burma could be anything up to $125k/carat - over 5cts you are looking at anything up to $225k/carat. Other sources are cheaper - up to $20k/carat for 2cts and up to $100k for over 5cts.

A 2ct exceptional blue sapphire from Kashmir or Mogok, Burma, untreated, could be up to $11k/ct for 2 cts and up to $45k for 5cts.

These are wholesale prices - not retail prices - and are nearly 5 years out of date.

 

[T L]

Re: Poll: Which is your favorite out of Emerald, Ruby, Sapph

Three stones of same size, quality and all extremely fine - the sapphire will probably be the cheapest, the ruby possibly the most expensive. Not sure about Emerald pricing - but a lot!

One thing is for sure, a top stone of any of the three with blow the price of a white diamond out of the water. Hence why I laugh when I hear people say that they'll 'settle' for a ruby till they can 'upgrade' to a diamond...

A 2ct exceptional ruby, untreated from Mogok, Burma could be anything up to $125k/carat - over 5cts you are looking at anything up to $225k/carat. Other sources are cheaper - up to $20k/carat for 2cts and up to $100k for over 5cts.

A 2ct exceptional blue sapphire from Kashmir or Mogok, Burma, untreated, could be up to $11k/ct for 2 cts and up to $45k for 5cts.

These are wholesale prices - not retail prices - and are nearly 5 years out of date.

Over 5 carats, I would say around $500K/ct and up, and if you can find one.

Wholesale of course.