Ruby Flux Healing - Is it normally disclosed?

[knightsb78]

Hey Folks,

I just finished reading an excellent article discussing flux heating and healing of Burmese Rubies and i'm just wondering how often this is actually disclosed at the retail level in stores or do they simply market these rubies as 'natural' ?

I guess the averare retail customer is likely to have no idea what that would mean on a certification certificate anyway!

Article link here and definitely worth a read:
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/flux_healing_mong_hsu_ruby.htm

I'm starting to get better at recognising some of these treatments as I practice more with my loupe but its been an interesting journey learning that there are many pitfalls for unaware purchases of corundum.

Cheers

 

[Seaglow]

Treatment should always be disclosed. The price difference between unheated, traditional heat, and flux healing/glass-filled/diffusion are significant.

There are full and mini lab reports that could go with the stones but if you are buying unheated or traditional heated rubies, the report should indicate so. There are lab reports that say only "natural ruby" without comments on treatment, which only means the stone is not synthetic, therefore could also include a highly treated stones.

 

[Barrett]

It's not disclosed more often than we imagine. Heck, Macy's didn't disclose it for years and got caught. What's to stop Joe Q, neighborhood jeweler from disclosing? There is a big name jewelry company in Atlanta that doesn't disclose Be-treated sapphires. Is that required? I would think it needs to be.

I bought a 1/2 carat red beryl gemstone one time, and the seller didn't disclose to me it was actually a lead glass filled ruby. That is irony for ya...ha
AGL disclosed it's true identity for me..LOL

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

After I saw these rubies for sale at $10/carat in Bangkok last year, it seems to me that non disclosure would be pretty much the same as selling a new car without mentioning the missing motor or such.

 

[chatoyancy]

When did the lead glass treatments begin?

 

[Arcadian]

I agree with barret. There is little disclosure at the retail level because most don't even know their own supply chain.

Now that said, Tiffany's actually does disclose but you have to hunt for it. Look at pages 5 through 11. I always knew that they were expensive for no reason.....

https://www.tiffany.com/shared/pdfs/carebooklet.pdf

 

[Barrett]

It's really a shame how much bending of the rules, consumer hoodwinks, and shiesty marketing and selling tactics actually exist in the Gem and Jewelry market. I can't think of any other business, except maybe designer handbags, which has more fakes, frauds, half-truths, and plain ole shenanigans going on.
Hey, Arcadian. Hope you are good!

 

[Arcadian]

Hiya Barrett. All is good (I think!!!) IMO "luxury" items always get marketing crapola around it because they have to make people want the stuff.

Its like sure, let me see how I can make 1000% markup on this craptastic stone...lol. Perfumes are no exception (when I look at some of the ad copy for perfumes I nearly want to cringe...plus the so called "history" of more than a few.)

The honest people in this area are way too far in between...

 

[chrono]

I pulled together some links a long time ago.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/corundum-sapphire-and-ruby-treatment.175354/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/corundum-sapphire-and-ruby-treatment.175354/[/URL]

In short, most of time, it is not disclosed.

When did the lead glass treatments begin?

I think it might be around the 1980s.