Pomelo’s quest for red

[Pomelo]

Hello CS friends!

TLDR: for the first time, I’ve seen a red stone that excited me. It’s a 2ct heated Burmese ruby. My two reservations are: (1) the window is the biggest concern, (2) one half of the stone is more crystalline than the other. My budget is $10k and this is $15k. Please give me your criticisms!

~

I’ve had a difficult relationship with red so far.

It’s not because I don’t like red per se, but rather, my tolerance level for red is very limited: I like a pure red with as little purple as possible.

Add to that, most of the rubies I’ve seen are neither fine in colour or crystal, so I kind of ignored red. I would try on emeralds and sapphires at auction viewings but rubies never really took my fancy.

However, a lot of connoisseurs on here like red, and I would also like the photos they post of their red stones, be it ruby or spinel.

At the HK show, I spent a little bit of time with red spinel but not ruby. There was a spinel cabochon that I liked but I didn’t do the homework on it (ie examine it closely and take it outside into daylight). From memory, it was nice but I wanted more of a silky glow.

This past weekend, I seriously looked into rubies because by chance and for the first time, I saw a red stone that made me excited. However, I’m unsure whether this is a good find or if it’s because I haven’t seen enough fine rubies to make a judgement.

Pictures are below if you want to skip to the good part, but I’m going to ramble a little longer (as writing long posts is like journalling - so helpful to gather my thoughts!).

Stats: 2.0ct heat only Burmese ruby, 8.1x6.8x3.3. The Japanese certificate says purplish red but I find it very hard to detect any purple.

The main issue I have is the window, there aren’t many flashes of red at the centre of the stone.

The other issue is that one half of the stone is more crystalline than the other, so one side is slightly clearer and the other more velvety. It’s not particularly noticeable on the finger and is only something I noticed afterwards when examining my photos.

Even though I like big gemstones (don’t we all!), I felt this size and especially the setting looked a good proportion on my hand.

If it were a cheaper stone, I think I would’ve gone for it, but rubies sadly aren’t cheap... It’s USD 15k for the entire ring, so maybe $6-6.5k per carat for the ruby itself.

If I’m spending over five figures, it would be my one and done ruby. I’m not sure I like red enough to want to spend more than that (!)

So PS family, please give me your warts and all thoughts! I want to be dis-enabled more than enabled!

Here are the other rubies I saw this weekend

1. The one I’m excited about: 2ct heated Burma 8.1x6.8x3.3 - pure red colour with a touch of velvet, but has a window and therefore few flashes of colour at the centre of the stone. Camera makes the stone look darker than it is, with an unglamour shot at the end
2. 2ct unheated Mozambique - massive for the face-up size but tone was too dark with a hint of brown, didn’t record down exact dimensions
3. 1.5ct heated Thai - clear crystal with good faceting but too purple with a hint of brown, didn’t record down the dimensions
4. 1.5ct heated (minor residue) Burma - clear crystal but too purple 7.2x6.0x3.0
5. 1.2ct heated unknown origin - too purple and tone was a little too dark, but faced up big for its weight, 8.0x6.0x2.8. Contender because in-budget and big face-up size, but it didn’t excite me
6. 5.2ct “natural ruby” - when the cert doesn’t have its dimensions nor the level of treatment, I will always assume the worst. Colour a tad purple and too included but looked great under certain lighting, esp the size! Little to no fluorescence
7. 1.5ctw unheated Burma - pair of earrings, too purple, crystal not transparent enough so the material didn’t glow
8. 1.3ct no cert but from Tasaki 6.1x5.0, couldn’t measure depth with calipers - this was a strong contender, it’s a well cut stone but colour just a hint too purple. I trust the Tasaki brand to pick heat-only stones though
9. Tiffany ruby band - no cert, very clear crystal and too purple for a “main stone” but I bought this one so I can live with a ruby, examine it under different lighting etc and figure out what I want from a main stone. I like the combination of baguette cut with clear crystal though!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I love your first choice especially the setting which is very “you” and truly original. I don’t know anything about rubies so my analysis is not technical, but for what it’s worth I thought “wow!” about the pictures! It’s definitely the best of this lot.

 

[Tartansparkles]

I also know nothing about rubies but from an "Oof" perspective and to my eye, the first ring you posted defo has the "Oof" factor over the others. The cluster is nice too but in a more conventional way.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Ooooo I'm so excited that you're delving into rubies!! So I definitely like the color of your first choice best. And honestly, as rubies go, it's a lovely stone. For me personally though? I couldn't look past that window, nor do I love the clarity. So there's my "disabling" for ya!

I also really like the Tasaki ring. How is the pricing on that one? Better cut, very crystalline, good color, excellent clarity, and some fluorescence. Despite the brand trust, I would still have her certified if you go with her.

Fun!!

 

[ShinyPink]

I love rubies, but mine are not ideal, except for me. I have one that's a bit too pink and another that's a bit too purple, but they are unheated, I liked them, and could afford them. Anyhow, my preferences in order are 8, 1, 5.

 

[Bron357]

My pick would be between no 1 and no 8.
I really love the no 1 ring as a package of a good ruby and lovely diamonds but the ruby in no 8 is a better example.
As far as windows go, my pancake Ruby is 80% window yet still manages to look nice. Rubies tend to be cut to maintain weight so it’s difficult to get all the ducks in a row ie colour, clarity, glow and cut and when they do line up the price will make your eyes water, a lot!

 

[dk168]

Rabbit hole alert!

I too am very particular about my reds in that I prefer pink reds and not orange/brown reds, and am happy with the 3 Rubies that I have, 2 of which I bought myself.

I have no clue about their origin!

Have you thought about a buying concierge service?

That's how I got my pink Sapphire.

Jeff W sourced it for me when he was attending Tucson gem shows in 2022. It had a window, however, the colour just popped at me in his video. He said he would re-cut to remove the window, so I said yes!

DK

 

[Autumn in New England]

Rabbit hole alert!

I too am very particular about my reds in that I prefer pink reds and not orange/brown reds, and am happy with the 3 Rubies that I have, 2 of which I bought myself.

I have no clue about their origin!

Have you thought about a buying concierge service?

That's how I got my pink Sapphire.

Jeff W sourced it for me when he was attending Tucson gem shows in 2022. It had a window, however, the colour just popped at me in his video. He said he would re-cut to remove the window, so I said yes!

DK

And when I think top tier concierge, of course Enhoerning comes to mind straight away.

 

[LilAlex]

Too late -- it's already tomorrow in Japan!

Loved your post, and I agree with all of your pros and cons. And I agree with @Autumn in New England's assessment.

Are these all in Japan? (And is that the same emerald ballerina ring popping up again?).

I think none are the Goldilocks gem. Unpopular opinion, probably, but here goes: If it were me, and with that nice budget as a starting point, I would wait a little, grow the budget by 5 - 10K, and get something that checks more boxes. (This is not advice I would give to everyone, but I surmise it's readily within reach for you.) You're not going to settle for < 2 cts, so these are too much of a compromise. I like the color of the first one and the face-up size for the ct-weight. I saw the dimensions before anything else, and it's hard to imagine a stone that shallow would be a winner (although it comes closer than expected).

I love that little Tiffany ring -- very gemmy! That's a fine souvenir no matter what else happens!

 

[Pomelo]

I love your first choice especially the setting which is very “you” and truly original. I don’t know anything about rubies so my analysis is not technical, but for what it’s worth I thought “wow!” about the pictures! It’s definitely the best of this lot.

Thank you!

I also know nothing about rubies but from an "Oof" perspective and to my eye, the first ring you posted defo has the "Oof" factor over the others. The cluster is nice too but in a more conventional way.

Thanks! I think the size and cluster helps too

Ooooo I'm so excited that you're delving into rubies!! So I definitely like the color of your first choice best. And honestly, as rubies go, it's a lovely stone. For me personally though? I couldn't look past that window, nor do I love the clarity. So there's my "disabling" for ya!

I also really like the Tasaki ring. How is the pricing on that one? Better cut, very crystalline, good color, excellent clarity, and some fluorescence. Despite the brand trust, I would still have her certified if you go with her.

Fun!!

Hehe I remember seeing a post of your Mozambique and you saying that you compromised by having some silk in the stone. I love me some silk and I value this one for the inclusions haha! Your Mozambique is my goal!

The Tasaki is (from what I gather) a pretty good price, if I remember correctly around USD3.5k all-in? But it didn’t make me excited. The crystal was too clean and the colour a tad too purple. But truthfully, I think the biggest issue is that I want something larger…!

I was actually toying with the idea of getting it as a reference stone as the colour, clarity, cut (no window!) and fluor are all pretty good… but I couldn’t justify spending that kind of money on a reference stone. I would’ve reset it into an east-west, thick shank like my Cartier emerald Ellipse band.

And thank you for the dis-enablement. The centre didn’t bug me much when I saw it in person, but I wonder if it’s because I haven’t seen a truly fine / well cut ruby yet.

I love rubies, but mine are not ideal, except for me. I have one that's a bit too pink and another that's a bit too purple, but they are unheated, I liked them, and could afford them. Anyhow, my preferences in order are 8, 1, 5.

Thank you for your thoughts! It’s interesting how we all have different criteria! Did you prioritise unheated?

My pick would be between no 1 and no 8.
I really love the no 1 ring as a package of a good ruby and lovely diamonds but the ruby in no 8 is a better example.
As far as windows go, my pancake Ruby is 80% window yet still manages to look nice. Rubies tend to be cut to maintain weight so it’s difficult to get all the ducks in a row ie colour, clarity, glow and cut and when they do line up the price will make your eyes water, a lot!

Thank you! Pancake ruby is incredible as it held its colour so well despite the window. Is it because it has v strong fluorescence?

I am wondering why number 1 doesn’t seem to light up as much as pancake ruby, despite not being as windowed?

Rabbit hole alert!

I too am very particular about my reds in that I prefer pink reds and not orange/brown reds, and am happy with the 3 Rubies that I have, 2 of which I bought myself.

I have no clue about their origin!

Have you thought about a buying concierge service?

That's how I got my pink Sapphire.

Jeff W sourced it for me when he was attending Tucson gem shows in 2022. It had a window, however, the colour just popped at me in his video. He said he would re-cut to remove the window, so I said yes!

DK

Thanks! TBH I really enjoy the thrill of the chase. I find nothing more enjoyable and exciting than spending hours, days, months, years looking for that one special specimen!

Too late -- it's already tomorrow in Japan!

Loved your post, and I agree with all of your pros and cons. And I agree with @Autumn in New England's assessment.

Are these all in Japan? (And is that the same emerald ballerina ring popping up again?).

I think none are the Goldilocks gem. Unpopular opinion, probably, but here goes: If it were me, and with that nice budget as a starting point, I would wait a little, grow the budget by 5 - 10K, and get something that checks more boxes. (This is not advice I would give to everyone, but I surmise it's readily within reach for you.) You're not going to settle for < 2 cts, so these are too much of a compromise. I like the color of the first one and the face-up size for the ct-weight. I saw the dimensions before anything else, and it's hard to imagine a stone that shallow would be a winner (although it comes closer than expected).

I love that little Tiffany ring -- very gemmy! That's a fine souvenir no matter what else happens!

What a great eye you have @LilAlex, yep it’s that same emerald ballerina that I passed on (they were in the same store). They’re all in Japan.

You seem to know me well, I don’t think I can dip below 2cts (or more accurately, something similar to a 2ct face up size) and I won’t compromise on a true red.

I think I need to see more rubies!

BTW - and esp since you mentioned about how there is no haggling in Japan - the vendor for number 1 added me on WeChat and reduced the price by nearly 25%! Ahh am I tempted?!?! I don’t know!!

 

[Pomelo]

So… Christie’s are in Beijing ahead of their flagship autumn jewellery sale in HK later this month and their top two lots are unheated Burmese rubies.

I appreciate their rarity - the clarity! The colour saturation! No heat! - but honestly, it didn’t make me excited. They were too crystalline for me, except for a couple of stones on the bracelet which had more silk.

But it means that I now know what a nice ruby looks like when it doesn’t have a window haha! However, wherever did I leave my spare $3-5m+… (each individual piece, not together!)

I think I need to figure out if I genuinely prefer option 1 over these fine specimens. The red of option 1 was really pleasing to my eye. And with the discount they vendor is offering… argh



I preferred the more included rubies, they’re just more pleasing to my untrained eye!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Pomelo at first glance I was very enamoured by 1 as I love the setting and you look super cute posing with it. The light and dark bothers me a bit but again……you look so so so cute with it (I know, not the most helpful observation).

My take is if Ruby is not your white whale, this is a great deal, get it if you like the ring and stone well enough. I have plenty of rings that are not white whales but they fulfil a category and are amazing work horses that get a lot of wear. Sometimes I just choose not to expend energy on certain gems. Which sounds odd but it doesn’t make me wear them any less.

If the ruby might become a white whale then keep searching. I think you have the means and the access to find your perfect stone if you want to spend more time on it.

On a completely irrelevant note: Girl just buy that Ruby bracelet, mail it to me and get good gem karma for the rest of your life

 

[Bron357]

Yes, pancake Ruby has strong fluorescence.

 

[Pomelo]

Pomelo at first glance I was very enamoured by 1 as I love the setting and you look super cute posing with it. The light and dark bothers me a bit but again……you look so so so cute with it (I know, not the most helpful observation).

My take is if Ruby is not your white whale, this is a great deal, get it if you like the ring and stone well enough. I have plenty of rings that are not white whales but they fulfil a category and are amazing work horses that get a lot of wear. Sometimes I just choose not to expend energy on certain gems. Which sounds odd but it doesn’t make me wear them any less.

If the ruby might become a white whale then keep searching. I think you have the means and the access to find your perfect stone if you want to spend more time on it.

On a completely irrelevant note: Girl just buy that Ruby bracelet, mail it to me and get good gem karma for the rest of your life

Yes you’re right, rubies are not white whale territory for me, that is emerald and I may have found it after nearly a decade of on-off searching.

I was noodling on @LilAlex ’s advice to up the budget for a ruby to get something that ticks more boxes but at present, I think I’d rather put the funds to a vintage signed piece (VCA Cadenas watch or vintage Tiffany Bone Cuff, I’m looking at you!).

I wonder if it’s because I’m still a ruby novice! For example, @Bron357 ‘s pancake ruby completely lights up! Whilst the colour is not for me, it’s glowy!

Aaand… I already bought a ruby to tick the ruby box haha (although it’s not a “main stone”). It’s the Tiffany band that I showed. I like it but it’s not silky enough for me!

Yes, pancake Ruby has strong fluorescence.

I cannot believe how much this stone glows despite the window!
May I ask, is the setting foil backed?

 

[Pomelo]

And before I forget, I also have a pair of synthetic ruby earrings from Pomellato. They got a LOT of comments from vendors at HK trade show, and they all correctly guessed they’re synthetic.

These synthetic rubies don’t make me swoon like emeralds, but it could be because the colour is too pink for me.

 

[Pomelo]

Forgive the diarrhoea-like thoughts that have been pouring out today… I’ve done a lot of thinking and research, and I’ve decided that getting a ruby is a good excuse to go to the Bangkok show next Feb

~

An incredibly helpful video by @Avondale (hope you don’t mind me borrowing your imgur!) showed how good ruby should look in daylight. This stone did not do that and more importantly, I’d love it if it did!

Link here



A technical question for the experts please as I noticed from my photos that the ruby has a “good side / bad side”:

• Is it both the lack of silk and lack of fluorescence which makes the bad side look like garnet?

And having seen @VividRed ‘s incredible collection as well as helpful photos:

• Is the colour of fluorescence an indicator of how truly red a ruby is?

I ask because he shared these photos and his unheated Mong Hsu fluoresces very pink!


The two rubies I own have red fluorescence (vintage Tiffany of unknown origin, synthetic ruby from Pomellato - sorry, small sample size)


~

And more of a process-driven question, when evaluating a ruby, what are the steps you take? In my head, it should be the following in terms of priority:

• Colour
• Inclusions
• Fluorescence (strong or very strong)
• Window
• Carat size

Am I missing anything?

 

[Dreamer_D]

That vintage Tiffany ring is beautiful. They sure know how to design a perfectly proportioned ring!

 

[Pomelo]

That vintage Tiffany ring is beautiful. They sure know how to design a perfectly proportioned ring!

Thank you.

The baguettes are 4x2mm so it’s 4x4mm in total. The 1.3ct Tasaki ruby ring was 6*5mm and to be honest, I couldn’t detect a noticeable difference in the face-up size of the ruby when viewed from a social distance…

But Tasaki was 3-4x the price and I felt the crystals were quite similar (well cut, very clean), plus the Tiffany was a bit more of a true red and I like the baguette faceting! So it’s now my ruby reference ring that I also get to enjoy

And, now that I’ve had a lot of time to play with the Tiffany ring, I think it’s very cool that one ruby is red and the other is pink! It’s most noticeable under warm indoor lighting, less so in daylight.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Yeah I have a 6x4 stone in my pendant and it is definitely what I would call a small stone. I can see why you reached this conclusion!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Thank you!


Thanks! I think the size and cluster helps too


Hehe I remember seeing a post of your Mozambique and you saying that you compromised by having some silk in the stone. I love me some silk and I value this one for the inclusions haha! Your Mozambique is my goal!

The Tasaki is (from what I gather) a pretty good price, if I remember correctly around USD3.5k all-in? But it didn’t make me excited. The crystal was too clean and the colour a tad too purple. But truthfully, I think the biggest issue is that I want something larger…!

I was actually toying with the idea of getting it as a reference stone as the colour, clarity, cut (no window!) and fluor are all pretty good… but I couldn’t justify spending that kind of money on a reference stone. I would’ve reset it into an east-west, thick shank like my Cartier emerald Ellipse band.

And thank you for the dis-enablement. The centre didn’t bug me much when I saw it in person, but I wonder if it’s because I haven’t seen a truly fine / well cut ruby yet.


Thank you for your thoughts! It’s interesting how we all have different criteria! Did you prioritise unheated?


Thank you! Pancake ruby is incredible as it held its colour so well despite the window. Is it because it has v strong fluorescence?

I am wondering why number 1 doesn’t seem to light up as much as pancake ruby, despite not being as windowed?


Thanks! TBH I really enjoy the thrill of the chase. I find nothing more enjoyable and exciting than spending hours, days, months, years looking for that one special specimen!



What a great eye you have @LilAlex, yep it’s that same emerald ballerina that I passed on (they were in the same store). They’re all in Japan.

You seem to know me well, I don’t think I can dip below 2cts (or more accurately, something similar to a 2ct face up size) and I won’t compromise on a true red.

I think I need to see more rubies!

BTW - and esp since you mentioned about how there is no haggling in Japan - the vendor for number 1 added me on WeChat and reduced the price by nearly 25%! Ahh am I tempted?!?! I don’t know!!

I know whatever you end up with will have been purchased with a keen eye for fine taste and quality, that's for sure!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Yes you’re right, rubies are not white whale territory for me, that is emerald and I may have found it after nearly a decade of on-off searching.

I was noodling on @LilAlex ’s advice to up the budget for a ruby to get something that ticks more boxes but at present, I think I’d rather put the funds to a vintage signed piece (VCA Cadenas watch or vintage Tiffany Bone Cuff, I’m looking at you!).

I wonder if it’s because I’m still a ruby novice! For example, @Bron357 ‘s pancake ruby completely lights up! Whilst the colour is not for me, it’s glowy!

Aaand… I already bought a ruby to tick the ruby box haha (although it’s not a “main stone”). It’s the Tiffany band that I showed. I like it but it’s not silky enough for me!





I cannot believe how much this stone glows despite the window!
May I ask, is the setting foil backed?

Big congrats on your gorgeous Tiffany band! It's an awfully nice "tide you over until" piece!!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Forgive the diarrhoea-like thoughts that have been pouring out today… I’ve done a lot of thinking and research, and I’ve decided that getting a ruby is a good excuse to go to the Bangkok show next Feb

~

An incredibly helpful video by @Avondale (hope you don’t mind me borrowing your imgur!) showed how good ruby should look in daylight. This stone did not do that and more importantly, I’d love it if it did!

Link here



A technical question for the experts please as I noticed from my photos that the ruby has a “good side / bad side”:

• Is it both the lack of silk and lack of fluorescence which makes the bad side look like garnet?

And having seen @VividRed ‘s incredible collection as well as helpful photos:

• Is the colour of fluorescence an indicator of how truly red a ruby is?

I ask because he shared these photos and his unheated Mong Hsu fluoresces very pink!


The two rubies I own have red fluorescence (vintage Tiffany of unknown origin, synthetic ruby from Pomellato - sorry, small sample size)


~

And more of a process-driven question, when evaluating a ruby, what are the steps you take? In my head, it should be the following in terms of priority:

• Colour
• Inclusions
• Fluorescence (strong or very strong)
• Window
• Carat size

Am I missing anything?

For me, it's tough to gauge the importance of the 4 c's individually (including fluorescence, if applicable, which I consider part of "color"), because it can change with every stone when taking all aspects into account as a unit. In other words, color might be the most important factor for me. However, if the color of a particular gem is bonkers good, while I dislike the clarity, cut, and/or size, I might buy one where the color isn't quite as exceptional, but the other 3 factors are more tolerable. And don't forget treatment level... that should be right up there with the 4 c's.

In other words, could I have found an impossibly neon paraiba in my budget that was highly included, poorly cut, and/or smaller (as well as treated)? Definitely. But that doesn't work for me, personally. Every aspect needs to be fine quality when I'm shopping, with color hopefully coming out on top. Naturally, the higher your budget, the more likely you are to accomplish that at the finer end of the quality spectrum. Does that make sense? So you really do have to evaluate every gem as an individual. That all being said, in general for me, and I would suspect for most of us, color is king. Did I put a long enough tail on that kite? lol

 

[Autumn in New England]

And, now that I’ve had a lot of time to play with the Tiffany ring, I think it’s very cool that one ruby is red and the other is pink! It’s most noticeable under warm indoor lighting, less so in daylight.

Did you purchase this piece new or preloved?

 

[Bron357]

Yes you’re right, rubies are not white whale territory for me, that is emerald and I may have found it after nearly a decade of on-off searching.

I was noodling on @LilAlex ’s advice to up the budget for a ruby to get something that ticks more boxes but at present, I think I’d rather put the funds to a vintage signed piece (VCA Cadenas watch or vintage Tiffany Bone Cuff, I’m looking at you!).

I wonder if it’s because I’m still a ruby novice! For example, @Bron357 ‘s pancake ruby completely lights up! Whilst the colour is not for me, it’s glowy!

Aaand… I already bought a ruby to tick the ruby box haha (although it’s not a “main stone”). It’s the Tiffany band that I showed. I like it but it’s not silky enough for me!





I cannot believe how much this stone glows despite the window!
May I ask, is the setting foil backed?

No, not foiled backed but has gold prongs underneath. Mostly the ruby colour and prongs help reduce the appearance of the window. I find windows more apparent on lighter hue gemstones.

 

[Pomelo]

For me, it's tough to gauge the importance of the 4 c's individually (including fluorescence, if applicable, which I consider part of "color"), because it can change with every stone when taking all aspects into account as a unit. In other words, color might be the most important factor for me. However, if the color of a particular gem is bonkers good, while I dislike the clarity, cut, and/or size, I might buy one where the color isn't quite as exceptional, but the other 3 factors are more tolerable. And don't forget treatment level... that should be right up there with the 4 c's.

In other words, could I have found an impossibly neon paraiba in my budget that was highly included, poorly cut, and/or smaller (as well as treated)? Definitely. But that doesn't work for me, personally. Every aspect needs to be fine quality when I'm shopping, with color hopefully coming out on top. Naturally, the higher your budget, the more likely you are to accomplish that at the finer end of the quality spectrum. Does that make sense? So you really do have to evaluate every gem as an individual. That all being said, in general for me, and I would suspect for most of us, color is king. Did I put a long enough tail on that kite? lol

Ahh yes, how could I forget treatment? Gonna put it at the top of my list as it’s something I always forget (clearly with my emerald cab lol!):

• Treatment
• Colour
• Inclusions
• Fluorescence (strong or very strong)
• Window
• Carat size

You also asked about the Tiffany ruby band, it’s preloved (as are most of my Tiffany pieces, I find that the secondary market prices are often 50%+ cheaper. However, when the secondary price is not much less, for example the sterling silver Bone cuff, I buy new).

Just for fun, my little “big three” bands. The Cartier emerald Ellipse was in a poor condition when I bought it, but it was one of my first CS pieces and I didn’t even inspect it under a loupe…!
And the sapphire + platinum pinky ring is unbranded, bought for pretty much scrap value of the platinum itself so I can’t comment or complain about the sapphire

 

[Autumn in New England]

Ahh yes, how could I forget treatment? Gonna put it at the top of my list as it’s something I always forget (clearly with my emerald cab lol!):

• Treatment
• Colour
• Inclusions
• Fluorescence (strong or very strong)
• Window
• Carat size

You also asked about the Tiffany ruby band, it’s preloved (as are most of my Tiffany pieces, I find that the secondary market prices are often 50%+ cheaper. However, when the secondary price is not much less, for example the sterling silver Bone cuff, I buy new).

Just for fun, my little “big three” bands. The Cartier emerald Ellipse was in a poor condition when I bought it, but it was one of my first CS pieces and I didn’t even inspect it under a loupe…!
And the sapphire + platinum pinky ring is unbranded, bought for pretty much scrap value of the platinum itself so I can’t comment or complain about the sapphire

You can see quite clearly from these photos why ruby (err, sometimes spinel), sapphire, and emerald have long been regarded as the holy trinity of precious stones.

I asked about the ring being preloved because it's possible one or more of those rubies was replaced, and that could account for the different shades. It's all part of the ring's history, which is cool.

 

[Crimson]

Yay! I love red, and rubies are my favs, along with spinels, emerald and jadeite. Some assorted thoughts below.
- You are doing well, identifying your preferences e;g., I can understand why you like the slightly included stones. They hold their colour better in different light conditions.
- Heated stones are not so popular in China, so you might be able to get one at price that is still reasonable.
- Silk is, for me. an important feature of Burmese rubies. It gives glow and elegance to the stone. But heated stones may have less silk because heat can destroy it.
- View rubies from different locations, just for fun and to learn what is available.
- Take your time. @Pomelo. Don’t rush. I agree with @Autumn in New England that it is worth discovering your preferences and learning about what exists in the realm of rubies.
In 2019, in my greenhorn gem days I bought an 4+ ct Mozambique Pigeon blood from a highly reputable online store - and I hated it! I had to send it back. Such a pain… it had to go back in a sealed metal box through customs in Kenya, with about 7mm thick paperwork. The poor store owner had to write extra letters for me to get my tax refund. Thank goodness it was someone from whom I had bought a spinel earlier, or I would have felt even worse. Lesson for me: my rubies must be bought in person. It is too expensive not to. I learnt that I much prefer Burmese rubies and I was fortunate to have a fantastic local jeweller who sourced only Burmese rubies. I realise I like rubies that are unheated, highly fluorescent, have some silk, and have a bit of pink or purple in the mix. Not even the slightest bit of orange or brown. Fluorescence is non-negotiable. For me it’s quality over size. It is very personal.

So I agree with @LilAlex. Enjoy the hunt and don’t ignore the serendipitous finds along the way.

 

[Pomelo]

Yay! I love red, and rubies are my favs, along with spinels, emerald and jadeite. Some assorted thoughts below.
- You are doing well, identifying your preferences e;g., I can understand why you like the slightly included stones. They hold their colour better in different light conditions.
- Heated stones are not so popular in China, so you might be able to get one at price that is still reasonable.
- Silk is, for me. an important feature of Burmese rubies. It gives glow and elegance to the stone. But heated stones may have less silk because heat can destroy it.
- View rubies from different locations, just for fun and to learn what is available.
- Take your time. @Pomelo. Don’t rush. I agree with @Autumn in New England that it is worth discovering your preferences and learning about what exists in the realm of rubies.
In 2019, in my greenhorn gem days I bought an 4+ ct Mozambique Pigeon blood from a highly reputable online store - and I hated it! I had to send it back. Such a pain… it had to go back in a sealed metal box through customs in Kenya, with about 7mm thick paperwork. The poor store owner had to write extra letters for me to get my tax refund. Thank goodness it was someone from whom I had bought a spinel earlier, or I would have felt even worse. Lesson for me: my rubies must be bought in person. It is too expensive not to. I learnt that I much prefer Burmese rubies and I was fortunate to have a fantastic local jeweller who sourced only Burmese rubies. I realise I like rubies that are unheated, highly fluorescent, have some silk, and have a bit of pink or purple in the mix. Not even the slightest bit of orange or brown. Fluorescence is non-negotiable. For me it’s quality over size. It is very personal.

So I agree with @LilAlex. Enjoy the hunt and don’t ignore the serendipitous finds along the way.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom and stories @Crimson , I always enjoy reading about it! I cannot imagine the headache to get your ruby back through Kenyan customs!

The other thing I’m finding about CS-land is that buying online is so much harder than buying diamonds. So seeing things in person really is necessary! But there’s so much to learn. For example, I didn’t know that tourmalines could colour shift and thanks to @Autumn in New England I avoided costly mistake. (And her dis-enablement here helped me avoid an even costlier mistake, thank you!)

It’s funny you mention serendipity as the Chinese saying 遇玉有缘人 (translation: meeting jade is fate) was echoed when I told the Japanese seller I’m not going ahead with the purchase, and she said 珠宝很讲究缘分（translation: jewellery is very much about fate)

 

[Pomelo]

You can see quite clearly from these photos why ruby (err, sometimes spinel), sapphire, and emerald have long been regarded as the holy trinity of precious stones.

I asked about the ring being preloved because it's possible one or more of those rubies was replaced, and that could account for the different shades. It's all part of the ring's history, which is cool.

Hehe thank you!

Very true, I didn’t even think about whether the rubies had been replaced. They’re in very good nick considering the marks inside say 1997 Tiffany.

The thing about Japanese pre-loved items is that they’re usually either in very good condition or they’ve been re-polished, deep cleaned etc before being sold, so it’s hard to tell if the item is its age!

 

[LilAlex]

What a great eye you have @LilAlex, yep it’s that same emerald ballerina that I passed on (they were in the same store). They’re all in Japan.

Well now I feel like a stalker, but it really was just yesterday or the day before, right?

BTW - and esp since you mentioned about how there is no haggling in Japan - the vendor for number 1 added me on WeChat and reduced the price by nearly 25%! Ahh am I tempted?!?! I don’t know!!

Oh, thank you -- that's good to know for next time! (And there will be a next time!) I guess I pushed a bit on a used GS in Osaka, and they offered me an extra couple of bucks off (3%, maybe?) if I shared some contact info so maybe that is more of a thing? But I did not negotiate for any jewelry, and my son's pearl earring purchase was pretty modestly priced.