Speaking of holy grails!!!!

[soberguy]

This is an absolutely breathtaking ruby!!! My holy grail! 13.21 carat unheated Burma ruby, The Regal Ruby!

 

[boerumbiddy]

Yeah, I would take it, though it is maybe, perhaps, JUST a trifle blue for my taste. AKA sour grapes.
I prefer the color of the rubies in the necklace in the same Christie's auction.

 

[boerumbiddy]

I think the Hope ruby, from the Lily Safra charity auction last year, is my favorite, maybe even over the Carmen Lucia ring. Of course, at 32.8 carats, it's a little big for every day.

 

[chrono]

You mean these?

 

[Mico]

You mean these?

holy crap

 

[Rubeum]

I think the Hope ruby, from the Lily Safra charity auction last year, is my favorite, maybe even over the Carmen Lucia ring. Of course, at 32.8 carats, it's a little big for every day.

in the video is even more beautiful, you can see it circa at 3.00 minute (and makes it much better than the retouched photos of Christie's )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTEuaKumCXw

 

[chrono]

Everything in the video is exquisite. Better go get my mop and bucket to clean up my keyboard now.

 

[T L]

I think the Hope ruby, from the Lily Safra charity auction last year, is my favorite, maybe even over the Carmen Lucia ring. Of course, at 32.8 carats, it's a little big for every day.

in the video is even more beautiful, you can see it circa at 3.00 minute (and makes it much better than the retouched photos of Christie's )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTEuaKumCXw

Here's a still of it. WOW, that woman had some amazing pieces.

 

[JewelFreak]

The ruby necklace is really breathtaking. The only problem is that you can't see it when you're wearing it -- I'd have to put it on & spend the day in front of a mirror.

--- Laurie

 

[minousbijoux]

I cannot imagine wearing that necklace and being able to function - my whole focus would be taken up by the necklace!

 

[Rubeum]

Along with that necklace, you could wear this tiara ... with the oldest rubies of Mogok, was owned by the Empress of Iran. The photo is very very old, I dare not imagine how it could be the beauty of these rubies live.

 

[FrekeChild]

 

[dk168]

I love the Regal Ruby, however, the stones in the necklace are a bit too orange for my liking.

DK

 

[Rubeum]

I love the Regal Ruby, however, the stones in the necklace are a bit too orange for my liking.

DK

However, we must remember a few things:
- Ruby ​​gemstone are perhaps the most difficult to capture in photos. In any case, photos of international auctions are always very retouched, sometimes at the limit of the "rendering". Just look at the difference between the photo and video of the Lily Safra ruby (in this thread) to understand what I mean.
- Rubies are pleochromatics. You see the red only in face, because cut along the axis of the red. In all other inclinations this stone can appear orange, pink and traditionally purple seen from behind.

 

[minousbijoux]

I love the Regal Ruby, however, the stones in the necklace are a bit too orange for my liking.

DK

Oh good! One less person to squabble over it with me.

 

[chrono]

Yes, corundum (ruby included) are dichroic so viewing one way will show a different colour compared to viewing it from a different plane. What would I give to be able to wear the ruby tiara briefly, much less see it in person.

 

[AN0NYM0US]

You mean these?

Amazing!

 

[pregcurious]

I love the Regal Ruby, however, the stones in the necklace are a bit too orange for my liking.

DK

In person at the Smithsonian, they do not look orange at all. Under the display lights, both the Carmen Lucia ring and the necklace posted look pinkish (blue secondary). I wonder what they look like outside.

 

[woofmama]

Gorgeous

 

[T L]

I love the Regal Ruby, however, the stones in the necklace are a bit too orange for my liking.

DK

In person at the Smithsonian, they do not look orange at all. Under the display lights, both the Carmen Lucia ring and the necklace posted look pinkish (blue secondary). I wonder what they look like outside.

That's a shame you can't press a button or something would occur in the display that would show the ruby under what it would look like in the Sun (UV). Fine rubies look amazing when UV light hits them, like a glowing firey red.

 

[pregcurious]

That's a great suggestion.

 

[Rubeum]

The Carmen Lucia, pics from Flickr.





The Richard Burton ruby from Liz Taylor collection. 8.24 carat by Van Cleef & Arpels. P'sB by SSEF.



The 8.03 carat burma ruby (P'sB by Gubelin) sold 7th October by Sotheby's Hong Kong and mounting by Cindy Chao.



But my holy grail is him... the 15.97 carat Alan Caplan ruby...



... the lucky finger? Of this poor woman

 

[chrono]

Such beautiful rubies. It would be great if museums could change their spot lighting at the touch of a selector switch. One setting with UV, one setting with spot lighting, one setting with diffused lighting, etc.

 

[dk168]

Of all the pics posted so far, I like the Carmen Lucia the most.

DK

 

[boerumbiddy]

FYI, weight score:
Carmen Lucia, 23.1 carats
Hope, 32.08 carats.

 

[minousbijoux]

Of all the pics posted so far, I like the Carmen Lucia the most.

DK

+1

 

[boerumbiddy]

Mrs. Sultan of Brunei (the Sultana?) seems to be wearing some nice emeralds, as well.
(Update: the lady in the picture is apparently his original wife from 1967, who is still officially married to him. Since then he has married and divorced an airline hostess and a television presenter; the latter was apparently the one who received the Caplan ruby in an engagement ring. After their divorce, it is not clear what happened to the ring.)

 

[minousbijoux]

Mrs. Sultan of Brunei (the Sultana?) seems to be wearing some nice emeralds, as well.

I like that casual name - Mrs Sultan. Like you'll run into her at the grocery store: "Hey, Ms. Sultan, how you doing?"

 

[chrono]

Sultan is male, Sultana is the female.

 

[minousbijoux]

Sultan is male, Sultana is the female.

Umm, Chrono? We were joking around - was that not evident?