***Ruby Help Needed***

[Bron357]

I’ve had a good look around the internet and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of quality Burmese rubies anywhere. I read somewhere that any new finds from Burma are less than impressive and Mozambique rubies are better.
Here in Australia we have Mays in Melbourne. They do a lot of Jade and have some Burmese rubies at eye watering prices but nothing on their books looks ”stunning” or worth the asking price.
I wonder if looking for rings through say on 1st Dibs might turn up a better Burmese ruby being “old stock” ruby? Mind you the prices on 1st Dibs aren’t for the faint hearted.

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

I’ve had a good look around the internet and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of quality Burmese rubies anywhere. I read somewhere that any new finds from Burma are less than impressive and Mozambique rubies are better.
Here in Australia we have Mays in Melbourne. They do a lot of Jade and have some Burmese rubies at eye watering prices but nothing on their books looks ”stunning” or worth the asking price.
I wonder if looking for rings through say on 1st Dibs might turn up a better Burmese ruby being “old stock” ruby? Mind you the prices on 1st Dibs aren’t for the faint hearted.

And don’t forget to look in Europe for ‘new old stock’. The euro and the pound are at quite a discount now. I got an exchange rate of .98 USD to the Euro yesterday—I’ve never gotten that good a rate.

 

[Sydneyphoenix]

@Sydneyphoenix if you are serious about buying a fine Burmese ruby, don’t waste your time on ebay or on other retail websites with 10+ year old inventories. This is not where
you will find what you are looking for, i.e vivid red of medium tone and eye clean.

I can personally recommend Inken Krausen from Enhoerning Jewelry, or Robert Genis from National Gemstone. The latter is a serious ruby expert, he can source the absolute best material if you have budget and time.

Ed Bristol from Wildfish has a great inventory of fine Mozambican rubies but in the Burmese space he has mostly pinkish/purplish stuff left, which is fine but not what I think you are looking for. He can source as well, but I never worked with him on that (only bought from his inventory, which worked perfectly for me).

Buying rubies is serious business. It will be expensive no matter what you buy, which means you are better off working with serious professionals - trust me, I learned the hard way.

I think I will ask Inken when I get enough of budget for serious Mogok ruby. Only Q is do I go for a mogok ruby from them or get an imperial jadeite cabochon >2ct from Taiwan first…

I’ve had a good look around the internet and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of quality Burmese rubies anywhere. I read somewhere that any new finds from Burma are less than impressive and Mozambique rubies are better.
Here in Australia we have Mays in Melbourne. They do a lot of Jade and have some Burmese rubies at eye watering prices but nothing on their books looks ”stunning” or worth the asking price.
I wonder if looking for rings through say on 1st Dibs might turn up a better Burmese ruby being “old stock” ruby? Mind you the prices on 1st Dibs aren’t for the faint hearted.

Wai from May’s seem to have a few rubies but most are windowed with shallow depth, and don’t have much info about pricing. Might be able to source one, but if he could easily he would put it on advertisement…so Inken might be the best bet to source a decent Mogok ruby.
National Gemstones by Mr Genis have eye-watering prices…

 

[Bron357]

The A$ is less than 70 cents US. Now is the time to sell not buy for us Aussies.

 

[flea_sly]

Hello everyone,

I have got an update from Inken on my Ruby search. Please see below and let me know what you guys are thinking!

1) 1.16 ct Mozambique ruby, unheated

Dimensions: 7.01 x 4.41 x 3.25 mm
Lab report: AGL gem brief
Price: $10,900
––
Color: 9.5/10
Clarity: 8/10
Cut: 7.5/10
Fluorescence: medium to low

Comment: overall the finest color out of these three, but less fluorescent; the least expensive because of the elongated emerald shape which is less in demand than emerald cuts with regular proportions; however, this elongated shape would actually work very well for a pendant!


2) 1.11 ct Mozambique ruby, unheated

Dimensions: 5.94 x 5.06 x 3.53 mm
Lab report: GIA
Price: $13,600

Color: 8.75/10
Clarity: 9/10
Cut: 8.5/10
Fluorescence: medium to strong

Comment: the color is a tad lighter than the other two rubies, but extremely lively and vibrant with a magnificent 'neon' touch in some light; it shows unusually strong fluorescence for a Mozambique ruby; can appear a touch pinkish in some light, but the color is predominantly red, and highly saturated; the video on white background makes it look a bit more pink than it really is.


3) 1.05 ct Burma ruby, unheated

https://youtu.be/-cdWm2HBtuM

Dimensions: 6.14 x 4.82 x 3.29 mm
Lab report: GRS
Price: $14,300

Color: 9/10
Clarity: 6.75/10
Cut: 9/10
Fluorescence: very strong

Comment: Burmese origin, with GRS report stating "vivid red" / "pigeon's blood"; a prestigious gem with fine color...made 'affordable' by the lower clarity, compared to the two Mozambique rubies; eye clean at arm's length (but not when viewed very close up); in perfectly eye clean, this ruby would cost around $25,000-$30,000. Burmese rubies, on average, are much less clean than Mozambique rubies. For a Burma ruby, this one is reasonably clean.

 

[flea_sly]

here is also a comparison picture (attached) and a video here:

 

[flea_sly]

 

[Autumn in New England]

Inken, unsurprisingly, came through with some beautiful, on-point options for you! So, fluorescence, to me, is critical when ruby shopping. Not everyone feels that way, so it will be a matter of your thoughts on the topic. In that respect, for me personally, I would rule out option 1. It's also the darkest of the 3 (and possibly the orangiest).

I think option 2 has the best color... and clarity. It does have a decent window, so you'll have to decide if that is something that irks you or not. Good fluorescence is a plus.

Option 3 has the prestige of Burmese origin, excellent color, and strong fluorescence. The cut seems better than option 2, as well. But there's the issue of clarity. Buying gems, unless you have endless funds, is always going to require a compromise somewhere within the 4 C's.

But I think you could go with 2 or 3 and be very pleased. Which way are you leaning?!

 

[Autumn in New England]

The difference in color and tone is less apparent here amongst the 3, so I'm going to stick with my assessment based upon the previous pix and vids. But, really, these are all fine quality rubies!

 

[flea_sly]

Inken, unsurprisingly, came through with some beautiful, on-point options for you! So, fluorescence, to me, is critical when ruby shopping. Not everyone feels that way, so it will be a matter of your thoughts on the topic. In that respect, for me personally, I would rule out option 1. It's also the darkest of the 3 (and possibly the orangiest).

I think option 2 has the best color... and clarity. It does have a decent window, so you'll have to decide if that is something that irks you or not. Good fluorescence is a plus.

Option 3 has the prestige of Burmese origin, excellent color, and strong fluorescence. The cut seems better than option 2, as well. But there's the issue of clarity. Buying gems, unless you have endless funds, is always going to require a compromise somewhere within the 4 C's.

But I think you could go with 2 or 3 and be very pleased. Which way are you leaning?!

Hi Autumn!

Thank you for the responses! I have already ruled out option #1 as I don't like the elongated stone. So that leaves me with option #2 & #3.

Do you think both are "pigeon blood red"?
I did see option #2 have a window. Would you consider it a large window?
How would you consider the prices for each of these stones taking everything into account with them including one has GIA report and the other has GRS report.
How do you feel about the emerald cut on them?

thank you

 

[Autumn in New England]

Hi Autumn!

Thank you for the responses! I have already ruled out option #1 as I don't like the elongated stone. So that leaves me with option #2 & #3.

Do you think both are "pigeon blood red"?
I did see option #2 have a window. Would you consider it a large window?
How would you consider the prices for each of these stones taking everything into account with them including one has GIA report and the other has GRS report.
How do you feel about the emerald cut on them?

thank you

Well, I'm a big step cut fan, so I'm loving the octagons. With regard to color, even though "pigeon's blood" is a subjective designation fraught with controversy, yes, I would consider 2 and 3 squarely within my interpretation of the definition.

Yeah, listen, option 2 does have a moderate window, but sometimes for fine color, you must compromise a little on other factors. Unheated, top color rubies are quite scarce. Are you very sensitive to windowing? Some folks are not bothered by it. And other folks would rather compromise on clarity. In that case, option 3 might be your preferred stone. And let's be honest, that's still excellent clarity for Burmese origin!

In terms of pricing... they're what you would expect to see for this quality of ruby. I hope this helps!

 

[flea_sly]

Well, I'm a big step cut fan, so I'm loving the octagons. With regard to color, even though "pigeon's blood" is a subjective designation fraught with controversy, yes, I would consider 2 and 3 squarely within my interpretation of the definition.

Yeah, listen, option 2 does have a moderate window, but sometimes for fine color, you must compromise a little on other factors. Unheated, top color rubies are quite scarce. Are you very sensitive to windowing? Some folks are not bothered by it. And other folks would rather compromise on clarity. In that case, option 3 might be your preferred stone. And let's be honest, that's still excellent clarity for Burmese origin!

In terms of pricing... they're what you would expect to see for this quality of ruby. I hope this helps!

Would you consider option #3 Burmese unheated stone clarity to be about normal for a Ruby from that geological area?

Autumn, would you consider the Burma stone to be an absolute stunning stone for this price point or no? I'm wanting this for my wife and as an "heirloom" that she can pass down to our daughter in the future. I guess 1-10 where would you place this stone in that chart in your opinion?

Do you think Inken and I can do better for these price points? Opinions in this matter as well please.

 

[VividRed]

I think I will ask Inken when I get enough of budget for serious Mogok ruby. Only Q is do I go for a mogok ruby from them or get an imperial jadeite cabochon >2ct from Taiwan first…


Wai from May’s seem to have a few rubies but most are windowed with shallow depth, and don’t have much info about pricing. Might be able to source one, but if he could easily he would put it on advertisement…so Inken might be the best bet to source a decent Mogok ruby.
National Gemstones by Mr Genis have eye-watering prices…

Robert has the best online inventory available to retail clients as far as I can tell. All his rubies are AGL certified with prestige grading report. Nobody else offers this. His prices are high but the quality is there to justify them.

Mays is 3x overpriced

 

[Autumn in New England]

Would you consider option #3 Burmese unheated stone clarity to be about normal for a Ruby from that geological area?

Autumn, would you consider the Burma stone to be an absolute stunning stone for this price point or no? I'm wanting this for my wife and as an "heirloom" that she can pass down to our daughter in the future. I guess 1-10 where would you place this stone in that chart in your opinion?

Do you think Inken and I can do better for these price points? Opinions in this matter as well please.

I think Inken was spot on when she rated the Burmese stone's color as 9/10. They don't come much better. And, yes, I do think the clarity is typical of material from Burma. That's not to say cleaner material doesn't exist; it certainly does. But it might be twice the cost.

I do believe this stone would be a worthy family heirloom. Naturally, that means something different from one person to another, depending on their budget. But in this price range, I think you've ticked a lot of boxes. It's of coveted Burmese provenance, over a carat with excellent color, strong fluorescence, and a bit of silk. It's well-cut, and reasonably clean for Burmese material. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to ask Inken if she has more options within your parameters. HTH!

 

[Sydneyphoenix]

How do the cut of the stone affect the pricing if everything equal, I imagine round shape is most pricey, then emerald, oval maybe more common and slightly cheaper?

 

[VividRed]

here is also a comparison picture (attached) and a video here:

I like the color of the middle one best, lush vivid red! Could you ask her if a recut is possible to close that horrible window?

 

[flea_sly]

I like the color of the middle one best, lush vivid red! Could you ask her if a recut is possible to close that horrible window?

As of right now I'm leaning more towards that Burmese stone. What do you think about it overall? Any information you can review about it and give me would be appreciated!!

 

[ChaiK]

It is really only 1.something carat Rubies that size are not priced at 14k usd. They really are not.

L@@K:

Mozambique Ruby Certified Natural Gemstone - Best Ruby Price per carat

Natural Unheated Mozambique ruby price per carat. Certified GRS GIA AIGS labs and ethically sourced. Gemfields Authorized auction partner

www.starlanka.com

 

[VividRed]

As of right now I'm leaning more towards that Burmese stone. What do you think about it overall? Any information you can review about it and give me would be appreciated!!

I think it looks clean enough, but it’s hard to see from the video. The color is great, no doubt. Maybe you could ask Inken what sort of inclusions there are: fissures and naturals are less desirable than silk. The price is what you would expect for this type of ruby,

It is really only 1.something carat Rubies that size are not priced at 14k usd. They really are not.

L@@K:

Mozambique Ruby Certified Natural Gemstone - Best Ruby Price per carat

Natural Unheated Mozambique ruby price per carat. Certified GRS GIA AIGS labs and ethically sourced. Gemfields Authorized auction partner

www.starlanka.com

Yes, but nothing in Starlanka’s inventory even remotely comes close to what Inken is showing. Plus, Inken is US based and charges a significant premium for sourcing. I agree that her Mozambique rubies are expensive, but the comparison with Starlanka just doesn’t hold, in my opinion

 

[ChaiK]

Maybe contact the starlanka guy.

After all, when shopping around, one would look at various vendors; that is the norm - to look-see and understand prices and quality before you buy.

Have you seen his entire inventory to make such comment?

Beautiful good rubies at 1.something carats are not above 10k usd, unless you add in premiums for I don't know what.

 

[Bron357]

My final 5 cents worth.
With coloured gemstones I believe you should buy “the colour”. And the colour “you” love.
With rubies you need to go with high fluorescence, that’s the magical quality for which rubies are reknown and desired. Otherwise you may as well buy a beautiful garnet or Rubelite tourmaline if a red gemstone is what you’re after.
To me cut is not so important, rubies aren’t cut for sparkle and you don’t really notice a window in a ruby, you see colour.
Clarity is also subjective, eye clean at normal viewing distance. The benefit of a ruby with high fluorescence is you won’t get to notice the clarity, the glow will have mesmerized you ha ha.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Maybe contact the starlanka guy.

After all, when shopping around, one would look at various vendors; that is the norm - to look-see and understand prices and quality before you buy.

Have you seen his entire inventory to make such comment?

Beautiful good rubies at 1.something carats are not above 10k usd, unless you add in premiums for I don't know what.

I'm really glad someone finally said it.

$10k plus for a 1.something is shocking and eye watering. Let's not sit around and pretend it is the norm.

OP I encourage you to shop around and speak to multiple vendors before dropping so much money. Look at the pricing for different sizes, different qualities and see what you're happy with. I've been looking at a certain type of stone the last few weeks and have learnt so much about that particular kind of stone after being shown an array of stones at completely different pricing structures, most of which were not listed on the website and may never be.

 

[Sydneyphoenix]

So my dream for a certified 1ct oval vivid red/pigeon blood colour, good fluorescence, eye-clean Mogok ruby will need US$15K, give or take, whereas a Mozambique one without fluorescence will cost around $4K. Start saving…

 

[Bron357]

This is my other “lesser” ruby, bigger in size but the cut is weird. It is like a “flat” slight oval (1.68 carat). It has a huge window as it’s a fairly flat gemstone.
With a black background you can see how it’s “see through” but on the hand with the light, you don’t really see it, you just see colour.

 

[Bron357]

So my dream for a certified 1ct oval vivid red/pigeon blood colour, good fluorescence, eye-clean Mogok ruby will need US$15K, give or take, whereas a Mozambique one without fluorescence will cost around $4K. Start saving…

You want fluorescence, trust me. It’s worth it.

 

[llamacat]

So I was browsing the gemstones page at Diamonds by Lauren and saw this and thought of this thread. Looks similar to #3.

1.05ct Emerald Cut Burma Ruby

This is an awesome 1.05ct Vivid Red Emerald Cut Ruby. The photos really do not do this stone justice. It is worth every penny.

www.diamondsbylauren.com

 

[Sydneyphoenix]

You want fluorescence, trust me. It’s worth it.

Of course I am chasing the Mogok ruby with its fluorescence, just making a comment it’s costly.

 

[flea_sly]

So I was browsing the gemstones page at Diamonds by Lauren and saw this and thought of this thread. Looks similar to #3.

1.05ct Emerald Cut Burma Ruby

This is an awesome 1.05ct Vivid Red Emerald Cut Ruby. The photos really do not do this stone justice. It is worth every penny.

www.diamondsbylauren.com

@Autumn in New England @VividRed @Bron357

First of all, thank you to @llamacat as this is the exact same Ruby as Inken has presented to me (option #3). Same GRS report from 2005.

So I would like to make some points and also ask you guys/gals for some honest advice in my current situation.

#1. Please review this link of (option #3) that llama cat found and does this change anyone opinion about how good this particular ruby is?

1.05ct Emerald Cut Burma Ruby

This is an awesome 1.05ct Vivid Red Emerald Cut Ruby. The photos really do not do this stone justice. It is worth every penny.

www.diamondsbylauren.com

#2. The price on this website for the exact same stone (option #3) is #11,995.00 USD. If you look back to the price I was given for this stone is currently $13,600.00. So it appears to me that there is an $1,600.00 up charge for this ruby currently.

What does everyone think about the actual stone itself and is it worth that area of price? Second, what about the uncharge pricing?

 

[Bron357]

@Autumn in New England @VividRed @Bron357

First of all, thank you to @llamacat as this is the exact same Ruby as Inken has presented to me (option #3). Same GRS report from 2005.

So I would like to make some points and also ask you guys/gals for some honest advice in my current situation.

#1. Please review this link of (option #3) that llama cat found and does this change anyone opinion about how good this particular ruby is?

1.05ct Emerald Cut Burma Ruby

This is an awesome 1.05ct Vivid Red Emerald Cut Ruby. The photos really do not do this stone justice. It is worth every penny.

www.diamondsbylauren.com

#2. The price on this website for the exact same stone (option #3) is #11,995.00 USD. If you look back to the price I was given for this stone is currently $13,600.00. So it appears to me that there is an $1,600.00 up charge for this ruby currently.

What does everyone think about the actual stone itself and is it worth that area of price? Second, what about the uncharge pricing?

Huh?
Who actually has the 1.05 Burmese Ruby?
If Diamonds by Lauren has it, that explains the lower price, I’d then presume that the other vendor will be adding their costs and commission as seller on top to make the higher price.
It sure gets confusing when different vendors have the same ruby at different prices.
And the lab report is actually 17 years old!!
wow!
Where has the ruby been all the years inbetween? Has it been previously sold / and maybe set and unset?
I really do like the Burmese ruby but maybe an ”up to date” lab report is a good idea?
Id buy it from whoever has the cheapest price but you better make a formal enquiry in case it’s actually already sold. I’ve seen that happen with diamonds.

 

[Autumn in New England]

@flea_sly Yeah, so it's clearly the same ruby. And there's certainly a notable discrepancy in price ($11,995 vs. $14,300). It's possible that DBL previously moved this gem, and it remains on their site in error. Inken may have come into possession of it (and the price was raised somewhere along the line to account for current value). I say that because it definitely looks like Inken took her own set of photos... I recognize the backdrop as being her studio. But DBL is also based in NYC, so I'm not sure if maybe they are simply using the same supplier. In that case, it's possible the price difference reflects Inken's concierge costs.

With regard to whether my opinion of the gem has changed in looking at DBL's listing... nope. This is a very fine ruby. And I'm sure obtaining an updated lab report, if you were so inclined, would be an easy fix. The GIA and AGL are in walking distance of Inken and DBL's offices.