- Joined
- Jan 22, 2014
- Messages
- 6,572
I wanted to wait until I had definitive results but it isn’t that easy it seems.
I have my lovely gem microscope now and have spent hours and hours looking at these lovely red gems and I’m still not sure on most.
Some yes. The 6.19 carat with the nasty chip has enough inclusions (veils, needles and crystal shapes) to ID as ruby. It definitely needs a recut but because of the veils I’m not sure if it’s possible. I hope so.
Likewise the 1.70, 1.45, 1.28 and 1.14 are sufficiently included to show typical ruby inclusions.
The 2.19, which is a deeper red, is harder. No veils but some crystal inclusions and some needles but I’m still not sure.
Likewise some of the emerald cuts (2.48,2.94,2.86,2.01,2.10,2.12 and 1.21) I’m not sure on.
For those who know a bit about synthetics, despite my looking under Darkfield / Overhead/ Lighfield and Diffuse Lightfield and under magnification up to 90x I still can’t see Curved Striae, curved colour zoning, gas bubbles or any flux like inclusions or hexagonal metallic platelets. I’ve even used the less scientific methods (comparing with a known synthetic ruby) - under UV light yes they are less “orangeish” than the known synthetic and with the Presidum - the synthetic ruby is very high in the sapphire range whereas the “others” are all in the sapphire range but at a lower reading.
I haven’t checked the Refractive Index (apparently flux will alter the result) because I don’t have that equipment and I haven’t tried Immersion or crossed polars viewing under the microscope (again I don’t have that equipment).
I’ve ordered a 2x Barlow lens to get magnification up to 180x.
Yes, I could take them along and get them professionally assessed but I just want to be more certain first. I don’t want to look stupid and be really embarrassed when told (with distain) “No (you foolish woman) these are OBVIOUSLY fake”.
Besides, things are really crazy here on the home front right now. My mum broke her ankle badly last year and now has a bone infection while my terminally ill father (stage 4 Melanoma) just had a hip replacement, like last Thursday! And it’s just me who lives in NSW so it’s me who has to manage the “oldies”!.
It is really hard to believe that some 30 carats of rubies (plus another 50 carats of sapphires) albeit with chips and flaws could slip unnoticed into a box with a stack of other gems and jewellers bits and pieces to be sold at auction for a few hundred dollars?.
Yes, the Mr was a high end jeweller who died back in the 1990s ( their magnificent house, totally run down and unrenovated still sold last year for just under $5 million after the Mrs died) and yes the other gems are natural, real gems and yes all the white metal pieces were platinum as I suspected (and why I bought the lot) but how on earth did someone not notice this.
So yeah, I’m still just totally incredulous that all this fell into my lap.
Rubies anyone ?
I have my lovely gem microscope now and have spent hours and hours looking at these lovely red gems and I’m still not sure on most.
Some yes. The 6.19 carat with the nasty chip has enough inclusions (veils, needles and crystal shapes) to ID as ruby. It definitely needs a recut but because of the veils I’m not sure if it’s possible. I hope so.
Likewise the 1.70, 1.45, 1.28 and 1.14 are sufficiently included to show typical ruby inclusions.
The 2.19, which is a deeper red, is harder. No veils but some crystal inclusions and some needles but I’m still not sure.
Likewise some of the emerald cuts (2.48,2.94,2.86,2.01,2.10,2.12 and 1.21) I’m not sure on.
For those who know a bit about synthetics, despite my looking under Darkfield / Overhead/ Lighfield and Diffuse Lightfield and under magnification up to 90x I still can’t see Curved Striae, curved colour zoning, gas bubbles or any flux like inclusions or hexagonal metallic platelets. I’ve even used the less scientific methods (comparing with a known synthetic ruby) - under UV light yes they are less “orangeish” than the known synthetic and with the Presidum - the synthetic ruby is very high in the sapphire range whereas the “others” are all in the sapphire range but at a lower reading.
I haven’t checked the Refractive Index (apparently flux will alter the result) because I don’t have that equipment and I haven’t tried Immersion or crossed polars viewing under the microscope (again I don’t have that equipment).
I’ve ordered a 2x Barlow lens to get magnification up to 180x.
Yes, I could take them along and get them professionally assessed but I just want to be more certain first. I don’t want to look stupid and be really embarrassed when told (with distain) “No (you foolish woman) these are OBVIOUSLY fake”.
Besides, things are really crazy here on the home front right now. My mum broke her ankle badly last year and now has a bone infection while my terminally ill father (stage 4 Melanoma) just had a hip replacement, like last Thursday! And it’s just me who lives in NSW so it’s me who has to manage the “oldies”!.
It is really hard to believe that some 30 carats of rubies (plus another 50 carats of sapphires) albeit with chips and flaws could slip unnoticed into a box with a stack of other gems and jewellers bits and pieces to be sold at auction for a few hundred dollars?.
Yes, the Mr was a high end jeweller who died back in the 1990s ( their magnificent house, totally run down and unrenovated still sold last year for just under $5 million after the Mrs died) and yes the other gems are natural, real gems and yes all the white metal pieces were platinum as I suspected (and why I bought the lot) but how on earth did someone not notice this.
So yeah, I’m still just totally incredulous that all this fell into my lap.
Rubies anyone ?