Recutting rubies

[canuk-gal]

HI:

My mother has a magnificient marquise cut ruby (app. 1.25 CTS, sorry no dimensions) set into a ring, which stone has become chipped in the culet (don''t ask me how??). I wondered about having it recut. My questions are:

1) How are recutting costs determined?
2) Relatively speaking, given the chip is on the culet would it be worth recutting less so than say had the chip been located on the top/end of a marquise?
3) Who might I entreat to take on this task? (I live in Canada, but that doesn''t matter terribly...)

Thank you for your input.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Michael_E]

Sharon,
The cost for re-cutting depends on what is expected and it''s difficulty. Ruby is a bit harder to polish than other gems, so the cost to re-cut must take that into account. On your mothers stone the ability to make the stone look better through a re-cut depends on how severe the chipping is. If the chipping is not very deep, then the pavilion only may be re-cut and the stone continue to fit into the same mounting. If the chipping is severe and has reduced the height of the ruby substantially then any re-cut would either increase the size of any windowing already present in the stone or require the stone to be cut with a more narrow width, (this is in order for the angles on the pavilion to remain reflective). If the stone needs to have its width reduced then the crown would also need to be re-cut and the cost would go up. In general a ruby in that size range would cost from $100 to $200 to re-cut, perhaps less if the chipping is very slight. Can you tell how severe the chipping
is ?

 

[pyramid]

Do you know that it is definitely a chip and not an inclusion which has always been there? It just seems unusual for a stone to chip at the culet when it is already set as the setting should protect this area. I am just a consumer but wondered because I have a pair of blue topaz earrings like this and the jeweller said it was a natural inclusion, mind you these earrings were not expensive at all.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 12/8/2004 1:27

7 PM
Author: Michael_E
Sharon,
The cost for re-cutting depends on what is expected and it''s difficulty. Ruby is a bit harder to polish than other gems, so the cost to re-cut must take that into account. On your mothers stone the ability to make the stone look better through a re-cut depends on how severe the chipping is. If the chipping is not very deep, then the pavilion only may be re-cut and the stone continue to fit into the same mounting. If the chipping is severe and has reduced the height of the ruby substantially then any re-cut would either increase the size of any windowing already present in the stone or require the stone to be cut with a more narrow width, (this is in order for the angles on the pavilion to remain reflective). If the stone needs to have its width reduced then the crown would also need to be re-cut and the cost would go up. In general a ruby in that size range would cost from $100 to $200 to re-cut, perhaps less if the chipping is very slight. Can you tell how severe the chipping
is ?

Hi:

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I too was amazed at the chip--but I cannot say "how large" as I might be a poor judge of depth. I know this chip is upsetting to my Mom, so maybe I''ll try and take a picture of it (might be hard where the chip is located) and post it.

cheers--Sharon