Star Rubies / Saphires / Etc.

[TooMuchInformation]

So, quick question. I''m reading about colored stones and such, and the star ruby / saphire / etc. has me a little confused.

What do these look like in person? I''ve seen pictures, but does the star "change position" depending on what angle you''re looking at it, or is it simply equal to painting a star on a stone and moving it around (it stays in the same place regardless of perspective)?

 

[valeria101]

Lucky you! I'd pay a fortune to go back to the time when I first held one of these and turned it around in the light. I do not have the slightest intention to describe what I have seen then: I'd spoil the surpise. The ONLY proper way to answer to this into go to a decent jewelry shop and ask for a star sapphire with a strong star (regardless of color or anything else). Chances are that the stone will be either opaque or black and trasnparent with a yellow (or white) "star". Jewelry store light will serve you well this time: few stars will hold their breath in difuse light. But by all means, if you are in for a little thrill... this is it!

I am already GREEN with envy! See?

 

[mogok]

Hello,
There are 2 kind of star rubies and sapphire:
The "static ones": The trapiche which shows a 6 rays static star as the star is created by inclusions.
The "moving ones": The star is generated either by very small rutile needles or hematite platelets that act as mirrors in the stone. If you turn the stone, you vary the angle this platelets have with the light source and the the star looks to moove on the surface of the stone. Their arrangement follow specific direction whitin the stone and as the are all following these directions you can discover a 6 rays star stone.

Now in very rare cases you can have in one single stone both hematite and rutile and so discover a 12 rays star stone as the direction in which hematite and rutile are orientated have 30 degre difference. Usually one star is weaker then the other one.

An other rare case is when the stone result from a twin crystal. It means from 2 crystals that have interpenetrated each other during their growing. As the 2 crystal dont have the same direction you can so discover if rutile neddle are present, two 6 rays stars with 2 different centers.

But thats right the best for you is to see with your ayes!

All the best,

Mogok, Bangkok based gemologist

 

[valeria101]

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[mogok]

Hi!

Fine stones AnA... I really like the twin star ruby!

Here is something that was missing: A Burmese trapiche ruby cabochon from the Mong Shu mines in Shan state. I dont have seen a lot of them as usually these stones are small and so its not possible to do a lot of things with them. Anyway: This trapiche ruby was the best I've seen cut up to now. You can see it on the 2 first photos. I'm sure that there are better stones of this kind around. but I'm not that specialized in Mong Shu staff...

The third photo is a nice little star ruby from Luc Yen in Vietnam... This stone own its 2 star to twinning. It is more pink than red but for stars: pink or red: Its ruby!

stupid isn't it? What ever the stone is nice and natural, that's what matters more than terminology!

See U,