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This ruby I purchased may be a garnet - What would you do?

roxta

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
188
I think the vendor sent the first email and then kept testing stones in the parcel, with varying, inconclusive results, so he called back the first email. In any case, I’m glad you got a refund. At this point, I really do not think you should use this stone in a present for your bff.

Oh, I absolutely will not use this stone since my testing found it to be singly refractive (so it's not a ruby/sapphire). I'm going to have to find a replacement for BFF now.
 

JewelledEscalators

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
856
I did purchase 2 stones in this order - this "ruby" and a sapphire. The sapphire was fine. So this email definitely refers to me.

The times I listed here were all the times the emails landed in my inbox/spam folder. So they are all my local time, all pm. The 2pm one went to my spam folder so I didn't see it until later because I wasn't checking that folder. It didn't come in later, I only read it later.

Anyway, I don't know how many employees are emailing me from the one address and signing off as one person. But even if there are multiple people working on my enquiry, do they not talk to each other about what's going on? Maybe the mislabelled parcel discovery unleashed chaos at the office.

Ah I see.

Well in that case, you got a free saphire out of it for your troubles, and perhaps also the cost of a lab cert (that you no longer need), and you can also keep the garnet. So maybe it turned out ok.
 

Ionysis

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 1, 2015
Messages
1,908
This has been a really fascinating thread. Although I’m very sorry that you had to go through all this aggravation when trying to do something very sweet and kind for your friend. I hope you manage to find the perfect little ruby you’re looking for.
 

Cinders

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 30, 2021
Messages
444
I'm so glad this has finally been resolved & you've been vindicated & refunded! Thank you for sharing your experience with us---I'm sorry you had to deal with it, though. Your persistence caused them to check the whole lot, which I find very interesting. Way to go, @roxta !

(I have a feeling you might get quite the VIP treatment should you decide to purchase from them in the future.) :)
 

roxta

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
188
Ah I see.

Well in that case, you got a free saphire out of it for your troubles, and perhaps also the cost of a lab cert (that you no longer need), and you can also keep the garnet. So maybe it turned out ok.

It could have been worse. I could have ended up with a lab report for a garnet and the vendor refusing to pay me back.

As for turning out ok, well, my pendant should have been almost finished, if not finished by now. Instead I'm going to have to find a replacement, probably come up with a new design to fit it and wait for the stone to be shipped here. So it didn't cost me money but it certainly cost me time and anguish, and delayed my BFF's gift significantly. At least there is now this thread, which hopefully will be useful to some now that the vendor has been revealed.
 

roxta

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
188
This has been a really fascinating thread. Although I’m very sorry that you had to go through all this aggravation when trying to do something very sweet and kind for your friend. I hope you manage to find the perfect little ruby you’re looking for.

Thank you. I appreciate everyone's advice and opinions.
 

JewelledEscalators

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
856
It could have been worse. I could have ended up with a lab report for a garnet and the vendor refusing to pay me back.

As for turning out ok, well, my pendant should have been almost finished, if not finished by now. Instead I'm going to have to find a replacement, probably come up with a new design to fit it and wait for the stone to be shipped here. So it didn't cost me money but it certainly cost me time and anguish, and delayed my BFF's gift significantly. At least there is now this thread, which hopefully will be useful to some now that the vendor has been revealed.

Hope you get the necklace sorted out.
 

roxta

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
188
I'm so glad this has finally been resolved & you've been vindicated & refunded! Thank you for sharing your experience with us---I'm sorry you had to deal with it, though. Your persistence caused them to check the whole lot, which I find very interesting. Way to go, @roxta !

(I have a feeling you might get quite the VIP treatment should you decide to purchase from them in the future.) :)

Yes, vindication!

Well, I do find it interesting that they don't actually sell these coloured garnets in the princess cut and calibrated size I purchased on their site (I went to check how much they go for). They have octagons, not princess cut in this size. So the whole thing about a parcel of garnets being (accidentally) mislabelled? This parcel of garnets that just happens to the same size and shape of rubies they stock, but not the same as the garnets they stock.... Let's just say I'm taking all this with a big chunk of salt.

Edit: Actually they don't even have the octagon garnets in the size I ordered. They have slightly smaller and slightly larger. So this parcel of princess cut garnets in 4.3mm (exactly same shape and size as the rubies) really came out of nowhere. :shock:
 
Last edited:

MamaBee

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 31, 2018
Messages
14,480
It could have been worse. I could have ended up with a lab report for a garnet and the vendor refusing to pay me back.

As for turning out ok, well, my pendant should have been almost finished, if not finished by now. Instead I'm going to have to find a replacement, probably come up with a new design to fit it and wait for the stone to be shipped here. So it didn't cost me money but it certainly cost me time and anguish, and delayed my BFF's gift significantly. At least there is now this thread, which hopefully will be useful to some now that the vendor has been revealed.

I‘m so glad this was resolved. I know this must have been so frustrating..
I’m sorry but I read the whole thread but missed the vendor’s name. Please let me know who it is. Thank you..
 

nutellakitty

Shiny_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jan 5, 2021
Messages
434
I am glad your issue is solved.
I would like to share my experience with calibrated-sized gems.
It is EXTREMELY RARE to get (traditional heat good colored) rubies in princess cut over 4mm in bulk.
For BE heated sapphires is another story.
Precious stones, especially for Rubies if they are nice, tend to have the most basic step cut to save weight, which means they always cut with the least amount of facets.
Round(step cut), Oval, or Baguettes are the most commonly found.
If you found natural over 4mm princess cut in Bulk, they tend to be either super expensive or they could be something other than wished to purchase.
 

deco1

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 8, 2015
Messages
49
@roxta Thank you for this thread! I learned a lot.

I appreciate your needing a calibrated size for your design, but you mentioned possibly coming up with a new design which may turn out to be a good way to go forward.

Take a look at Yavorsky (IvyNewYork.com). I purchased an unheated cabochon ruby for $28. It's .56ct, 6.5mm.

I actually like it more than a whole bunch of much more expensive gems I have.

(Ignore the other gems and abundant dust -- I live in a dry climate. And I've yet to set anything.)
IMG-0260.jpg
 

roxta

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
188
I am glad your issue is solved.
I would like to share my experience with calibrated-sized gems.
It is EXTREMELY RARE to get (traditional heat good colored) rubies in princess cut over 4mm in bulk.
For BE heated sapphires is another story.
Precious stones, especially for Rubies if they are nice, tend to have the most basic step cut to save weight, which means they always cut with the least amount of facets.
Round(step cut), Oval, or Baguettes are the most commonly found.
If you found natural over 4mm princess cut in Bulk, they tend to be either super expensive or they could be something other than wished to purchase.

Thanks for the tips, they are well noted. I haven't had any previous experience with buying a ruby (and will NEVER buy one again after this project for BFF) but I made the mistake of assuming a good price at a PS recommended vendor would be a safe bet. I know better now.
 

roxta

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
188
@roxta Thank you for this thread! I learned a lot.

I appreciate your needing a calibrated size for your design, but you mentioned possibly coming up with a new design which may turn out to be a good way to go forward.

Take a look at Yavorsky (IvyNewYork.com). I purchased an unheated cabochon ruby for $28. It's .56ct, 6.5mm.

I actually like it more than a whole bunch of much more expensive gems I have.

(Ignore the other gems and abundant dust -- I live in a dry climate. And I've yet to set anything.)
IMG-0260.jpg

Will take a look, thank you.

p.s. The pink pear is lovely. Totally my cup of tea (I like pastels and not too saturated/vivid colours - you could say I have "cheap" taste).
 

Calliecake

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 7, 2014
Messages
9,229
@roxta, I have to ask if your friend is a jewelry person? I know nothing about rubies. I would be so touched that my friend bought me something beautiful to celebrate the birth of my baby that I don’t think I would care even if I was a ruby person. You put a lot of effort into getting her a beautiful present.

I know this was of no help to you. I’m sorry
 

rbjd

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 4, 2003
Messages
162
For future reference, a good UV light flashlight is cheaper than a lab report and you can use it over and over again.
 

roxta

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
188
@roxta, I have to ask if your friend is a jewelry person? I know nothing about rubies. I would be so touched that my friend bought me something beautiful to celebrate the birth of my baby that I don’t think I would care even if I was a ruby person. You put a lot of effort into getting her a beautiful present.

I know this was of no help to you. I’m sorry

She's not a jewellery person like us here on PS but she appreciates a pretty gem or piece of jewellery as much as the average person. She would just as easily pick a nice quartz or topaz piece over more expensive spinel or sapphire if it spoke to her. She also wouldn't be as fussy about commercial value or investment potential as much as us PSers. I recall a few birthdays back, she asked her husband for a pair of emerald studs from Blue Nile. She liked the colour and the price. Origin, treatments, certification, etc - none of that was important to her so totally fine purchasing from an online retailer like that.

As for this gift, it's a special occasion and she's already been saying since day one that she has no plans on having another baby - so it's probably also a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. So I thought I would design something for her in 18k gold, nothing too grand or expensive that would make her feel bad. More about the sentiment than the commercial value. I'm not a ruby person either but I know if it was the other way around, I would cherish the gift, no matter what stone was in it.
 

roxta

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
188
For future reference, a good UV light flashlight is cheaper than a lab report and you can use it over and over again.

I'm waiting for the one I ordered to arrive so I can play! :clap:
 

Ionysis

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 1, 2015
Messages
1,908
Might this work for your project?

There is a smaller trillion too at about $80.

I’ve bought from this company before. They are very nice.
 

roxta

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
188
Might this work for your project?

There is a smaller trillion too at about $80.

I’ve bought from this company before. They are very nice.

Thanks, I'll add it to the list for consideration. Might be a bit too pink. Looks more like a pink sapphire to me, to be honest.
 

demantoidz

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 25, 2019
Messages
511
Here is an option, but I've never used this seller and do not know how trustworthy they are. They specialize in unusual/rare gems which is why I check their page out once in a while - without a serious intention of buying anything, just to see what interesting stuff they have listed.

You could reach out to Brad from thegemtrader.com who I've used a few times, I think they have fair pricing, they've offered small rubies before albeit over budget
(eg - https://www.thegemtrader.com/056-ct-malagasy-ruby-the-gem-trader-rare-gems )
No harm in sending an email with a budget, preferences and seeing what they can offer.

I'd stick to sellers who show you the stone you are buying over a listing with a stock image
 

JewelledEscalators

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
856
Might this work for your project?

There is a smaller trillion too at about $80.

I’ve bought from this company before. They are very nice.

It's a bit wonky, no? Or is it just the picture?
 

roxta

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
188
Here is an option, but I've never used this seller and do not know how trustworthy they are. They specialize in unusual/rare gems which is why I check their page out once in a while - without a serious intention of buying anything, just to see what interesting stuff they have listed.

You could reach out to Brad from thegemtrader.com who I've used a few times, I think they have fair pricing, they've offered small rubies before albeit over budget
(eg - https://www.thegemtrader.com/056-ct-malagasy-ruby-the-gem-trader-rare-gems )
No harm in sending an email with a budget, preferences and seeing what they can offer.

I'd stick to sellers who show you the stone you are buying over a listing with a stock image

Thanks for the options. I will check them out.
 

Ionysis

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 1, 2015
Messages
1,908
Ward in Hatton Garden are reliable and have a wide selection also.

 

JewelledEscalators

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
856
Most will be at that price point unless it’s a heavily included rock. It’s a native cut bit precision.

Yes I suppose that's true. Maybe it's not so noticeabel in real life as it's a small stone, and could be covered up by a prong.
 

JewelledEscalators

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
856
So @roxta, does this mean you won't be purchasing any more stones from this vendor? Just curious, because you are happy with the other purchase you made.

It seem that they still haven't taken down the stone they sold you from their website...

I'm kind of dissappointed too, as they were one of the vendors I was hoping to purchase future stones from.
 

roxta

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
188
So @roxta, does this mean you won't be purchasing any more stones from this vendor? Just curious, because you are happy with the other purchase you made.

It seem that they still haven't taken down the stone they sold you from their website...

I'm kind of dissappointed too, as they were one of the vendors I was hoping to purchase future stones from.

Until this experience, I've been able to confirm my gemstone purchases are what they're meant to be with just my refractometer and loupe. I mainly buy sapphires (natural and lab created) and with the colours I tend to go for, it's easy to tell if I've received a garnet or spinel instead because the RIs and/or colourways will be quite different to what I'm expecting. But this is my first time purchasing a ruby and having to do extra tests because the RI for almandine garnet is relatively close to corundum and the colours could potentially crossover. I'm still waiting for my UV torch but I'm confident I'll soon be able to distinguish between the two quite conclusively (though I hope to never have to deal with any red stones again after this project). I also have my DIY polariscope now and I'm thinking of getting a dichroscope too so I'll have my own little ID-ing kit.

If I see a really good deal on something I can't get elsewhere, I may consider purchasing from them again, but only if it's something that I feel confident about identifying myself without casting any doubt. For example, a tanzanite, doesn't have something so similar in colour and RI that I would have too much trouble identifying a switch-up. If I ordered a tanzanite and got a spinel in the same size/colour, that would actually be a better outcome. :dance:
 

Calliecake

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 7, 2014
Messages
9,229
She's not a jewellery person like us here on PS but she appreciates a pretty gem or piece of jewellery as much as the average person. She would just as easily pick a nice quartz or topaz piece over more expensive spinel or sapphire if it spoke to her. She also wouldn't be as fussy about commercial value or investment potential as much as us PSers. I recall a few birthdays back, she asked her husband for a pair of emerald studs from Blue Nile. She liked the colour and the price. Origin, treatments, certification, etc - none of that was important to her so totally fine purchasing from an online retailer like that.

As for this gift, it's a special occasion and she's already been saying since day one that she has no plans on having another baby - so it's probably also a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. So I thought I would design something for her in 18k gold, nothing too grand or expensive that would make her feel bad. More about the sentiment than the commercial value. I'm not a ruby person either but I know if it was the other way around, I would cherish the gift, no matter what stone was in it.

@roxta, She is going to be thrilled and so touched by this gift. I don’t know a woman alive who wouldn’t cherish this gift.

I hope you know you have already given her the greatest gift, your friendship.
 
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