Star Sapphires or Rubies from StarRuby.in?

[Kay]

Has anyone here every purchased from www.StarRuby.in? They have a large selection of star rubies and sapphires at what look to be reasonable prices. I am a bit leery of buying from an unknown site in India, although I would have some protection by buying using my Amex card. They have a couple pretty stones in the $300 to $500 range I have my eye on.



http://www.starruby.in/index.html

 

[morecarats]

I don''t have any specific information about the dealer, but since many star rubies and star sapphires are treated, it would be good to have certification from a proper gemological lab if you are spending hundreds of dollars on one of these stones. In my experience, the most common treatments for star ruby are fracture-filling, while many star sapphires are diffused with titanium to improve the star. There are untreated specimens in the marketplace, but they tend to be in the minority, so it''s a good idea to insist on certification when the dealer claims the stones are untreated.

 

[chrono]

In reading over their website, it states that all their stones are natural and untreated in any and all manner. In addition, there’s a good review and return policy. I also like the fact that anything over $200 comes with lab certification. However, I’ve never heard of the Gemological Institute of India. Perhaps some research into this lab is in order.

 

[morecarats]

The Gemmological Institute of India is the leading gemological lab in the country. Their test reports should be trustworthy.

Please be aware that if you need to return a gemstone to India, you can''t use FedEx since they won''t accept gemstones for delivery to India (due to Indian customs regulations). You''ll need to use the post, which has some risks. So take out insurance on anything you send there.

 

[Kay]

Thank you Morecarats and Chrono. I am happy to hear GII is a respected lab. With a $300 stone, I would not want to pay for a separate appraisal like I would with a $3,000 stone. They do have a nice inspection and return policy, although the return shipping to India might be pricey.

Are there other good U.S. sources for star sapphires and rubies? I have a thing for them lately thanks to PS.

 

[chrono]

I’ve seen quite a few stars on AJS and Multicolour but unfortunately, because they are in Asia, you’ll still experience the same return shipping issue. Mineral Miner is in the US and might have something.

 

[T L]

Chrono,
Doesn''t AJS have a return location in the United States?

 

[chrono]

Date: 12/18/2009 1:24:27 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Chrono,
Doesn''t AJS have a return location in the United States?

When I made my purchase, that option was still open to me. However, you can no longer return stones to the US office according to a couple posters who inquired with AJS recently.

 

[T L]

Thanks for the updated information Chrono.

BTW, to the OP, just because a natural untreated star sapphire is inexpensive, doesn''t mean it''s worth even that much. You can find very inexpensive star corundum for very little per carat, natural and untreated, but they''ll be very opaque, and the background color will be dull, even though sometimes, the star can be nice. Those are known as "Indian star sapphires" and they''re interesting, but do not comapre them with their higher priced and valualble counterparts.