Ruby advice please

[simplysplendid]

Hi All,

I hope the experts can chime in here on a ruby newbie. This is my first potential ruby purchase.

My jeweler has a ruby which caught my eye. It is a GRS (GemResearch Swisslab) certified Natural Ruby with details as follow:

Identification: Natural Ruby
Weight: 1.51ct
Cut: brilliant/step(4)
Shape: cushion
Color: red
Comment: No indication of heat treatment
FTIR-tested
Origin: Gemmological testing revealed characteristics (incl. blue growth zones) corresponding to those of a natural ruby from:
Burma (Myanmar)

This ruby has been set into a ring surrounded by small diamonds totalling 1.40ct and my jeweler has quoted me in my home currency to an approx of USD8300. According to her, she has quoted me a very good/reasonable price on the ring.

When I look at this ruby, it looks beautiful and red and eyeclean to my inexpert eyes. According to my jeweler, she says she will be concerned on the genuinity of the ruby is there are no inclusions and she thinks this ruby has inclusions and is eye clean. She also said that "red" on the GRS lab report means a very very good colour, even though this is not a "pigeon blood". Apparently the lab does give a "pigeon blood" comment on the colour if they do think it is indeed a pigeon blood colour and for colours which are not an "excellent" red, the lab would not put down the colour on the report.

Would any of the experts please advise me on the following:

1. Is the price a fair price to pay? Or is it too expensive? Or too cheap for what the jeweler says it is? (Point to note: I am a regular customer and I understand she quotes me reasonable prices for diamonds)
2. Is GRS a reputable lab for gemstones?
3. Does "red" for GRS means it is really an excellent red stone?
4. Is it true that most rubies have lots of inclusions and that eye clean is key?

Thanks..

 

[simplysplendid]

Hi,

Apologies, I forgot to include the dimensions:

6.32mm X 6.00mm X 4.44mm

Another question: Is this stone cut too deep for a 1.51ct so as to give the stone a much redder/deeper colour than it really is?

Thanks..

 

[pyramid]

simplysplendid

Your ruby sounds lovely but to get expert advice you would need to consult with an independent appraiser (meaning someone whose job that is and not someone who appraises jewellery and works in a jewellery store). I don't know where you are but Richard Sherwood who writes on the forum here is an independent appraiser and I think he said one time he was very acquainted with rubies. (He either said rubies or sapphires or both, I can't remember). Maybe you could contact him.

There is also a link under the RESOURCES button at the top of the page for independent appraisers who have been recommended by Pricescope for different areas in the USA.

I hope this helps, maybe someone else will come to your post who knows about rubies and advise you further.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 5/5/2007 4:01:34 PM
Author: Pyramid
simplysplendid

Richard Sherwood who writes on the forum here is an independent appraiser and I think he said one time he was very acquainted with rubies. (He either said rubies or sapphires or both, I can''t remember). Maybe you could contact him.

Richard Sherwood is a ruby expert with a ton of experience.
He would be my appraiser of choice for them.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Date: 5/5/2007 3:55:16 PM
Author:simplysplendid
1. Is the price a fair price to pay? Or is it too expensive? Or too cheap for what the jeweler says it is? (Point to note: I am a regular customer and I understand she quotes me reasonable prices for diamonds)
2. Is GRS a reputable lab for gemstones?
3. Does ''red'' for GRS means it is really an excellent red stone?
4. Is it true that most rubies have lots of inclusions and that eye clean is key?

1. Hi Splendid. There''s simply not enough information to answer your question. In order to give an educated opinion we''d have to know the quality of the ruby, quality of the diamonds, and character of the mounting.

2. Yes.

3. Maybe yes, maybe no.

4. Yes.

If you make the sale contingent upon the ring appraising out to your satisfaction with the independent appraiser of your choice, with a reasonable right-of-return period for ANY reason, you can''t lose. Then you will get all your questions answered.

 

[simplysplendid]

Hi Rich and all,

Thank you for your feedback.. Unfortunately in where I live (Singapore), the jewelers here don''t practise allowing their customers to send the jewelry to an appraiser before a purchase and they normally don''t have a return policy. This country is jewelry crazy and there''s just too many customers I think (at least in my jeweler''s shop - their items such as 10-carat vivid fancy yellow diamond, vivid pink diamonds and imperial jade earrings can just fly off the shelf!). I can probably ask for an exchange if i don''t like what I have bought but then I would have committed to a few thousand dollars.

Rich, I know I can tell them that I just want to purchase the ruby without the setting/diamonds and have it reset. Do you think there is enough information produced to estimate the cost of just the 1.51ct ruby? Would you know the range of colour grading that GRS will give (eg: do they give intense red or vivid red, which will both be better than red?)

Thank you very much again!

 

[widget]

Simplysplendid:

Hmmm...I've got my nerve contrubuting to this thread...now that Richard's joined...I really am an amateur. Here're my thoughts, for what little they're worth:

What I like best about this ruby is that you've seen it IRL, and YOU like it...that's a big deal! (I do hope you'e viewed it outside of typical jewelry store lighting: outside, direct sunlight, normal indoor light, etc etc. These stones really do change personality in different settings.)

Also, I really like it's paperwork: Respected lab stating it's unheated, and it's (likely) country of origin: Burma.

I fooled around with the numbers...taking away USD1500 for the mounting...and figured the unmounted price would be around $4500/ct. I don't think this is unreasonable for a certed beautiful 1.5ct Burma ruby...

Just my opinion, which I must reiterate isn't worth much!

Good luck,
widget

ETA: Richard: Isn't the lab report describing the color as red, without mentioning any secondary colors, a good thing?

 

[Kaleigh]

With colored stones, I always say trust your eyes. Paper work is important, absolutley. But does this stone make your heart sing?? Is it pleasing to you?? I also agree with widget, see it in all different lighting conditions. See if they will let you take it outside, and see it in the sunlight. Accompanied by an employee of course. I think this stone has great potential. But it''s all in the eye of the beholder. Good luck!!!

 

[Heileman&Co.]

Not too familiar with the GRS cert.
With a ruby color is everything so dont buy based on an opinion without looking at the stone. Doesn''t matter who it is certed through, you have to see it firsthand to judge it. From pictures it is hard to determine color and keep in mind many gem dealers on the web enhance the color with photoshop. This ruby would be a great buy if it was indeed as stated. That''s all the help i can provide with the info given.

 

[simplysplendid]

I tried to put the ruby out of my mind for a while while my jeweler has it on hold for me, but I just couldn''t. I went back to the jeweler''s to take a second look and compared it to other unheated rubies, some in the two carat range but this one just speaks to me ("buy me, buy me"). Even though the GRS cert does not say "pigeon blood", it looks much better and livelier than those that do say "pigeon blood". The problem with some of the other GRS pigeon blood ones at the jeweler''s is the cut I think, there are some visible windows or it is just not very lively. Upon very close inspection (maybe about 6 inches from my eyes), I can see that the colour of this ruby is slightly less saturated than the vivid red/pigeon blood ones but this one has the fluorescence or glow that the other stones does not have, even in natural daylight so I finally bought the ring and manage to get the price a little further down to approx USD7900.

 

[twodoor2]

Can we have pictues so we can share in your happiness??? I love rubies, I just don''t buy them because of all the unscrupulous treatments so it''s good you have a GRS report stating untreated.

 

[widget]

How exciting, Simplysplendid!!! Congratulations!

Please, please post pictures of your treasure!!


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[simplysplendid]

Hi Ladies,

Thank You.. it''s my first ruby purchase so I am very excitied. Yes, I will try to take some photos once I collect my ring from the jeweler, it is now being resized.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

How exciting! I look forward to the pictures!!

cheers--Sharon

 

[simplysplendid]

Finally got my ring and the best of all, my hubby picked up the tab on the ring! Took some pictures and found that it is harder to take coloured stones pictures than diamond pictures! Anyway, I could quite capture the colour of the ruby under natural sunlight except that once I resize it to fit the upload, the colour seems to have changed from red to purplish red. Anyway, the ruby has no purplish hint in real life. Here the pictures..

 

[simplysplendid]

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[simplysplendid]

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[simplysplendid]

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[simplysplendid]

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[simplysplendid]

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[widget]

Oh, SS!!!!! It''s absolutely magnificent!!!

I KNOW how hard it is to photograph rubies....even so, yours looks bright, lively and red red red.

It is beyond stunning...

Congratulations!

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[canuk-gal]

HI:

I CAN''T STAND IT--it is ssssssssoooooooooo beautiful!!!! Gosh if you hadn''t bought it, I would have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think you did very well! Congrats!!!

cheers--Sharon

 

[gemnut]

I''m in LOVE!!!

With your RUBY, of course!!! Congratulations

 

[monkey1969]

Hi Simplysplendid~

congratulations! wow that is an amazingly beautiful stone. I have been looking at stones online and it seems the more that I see the more confused I am! I wonder if some of you that gave advice on this thread could tell me about a couple of places that I''ve seen to buy stones. I know there are some good sellers on eBay and some bad ones, but this one intrigues me- his seller id is tiptopgem. Also, is AIGS a good laboratory for rubies? I think I lean toward GIA for diamonds but colored stones I am not sure.

thanks for helping out guys I am grateful for your advice!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 7/1/2007 11:15:01 AM
Author: widget
Oh, SS!!!!! It''s absolutely magnificent!!!

I KNOW how hard it is to photograph rubies....even so, yours looks bright, lively and red red red.

It is beyond stunning...

Congratulations!

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Wowzers here too!

 

[strmrdr]

yummy!!!

 

[chrono]

The ruby is a stunning red, and the setting is gorgeous. The entire piece is TDF.

 

[kcoursolle]

SOooo pretty, I could stare at your ring for hours!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Absolutely gorgeous!

 

[Kaleigh]

WOW!!!! It''s absolutely gorgeous!!! Just love it!!!!