Commercial grade rubies are readily accessible. Excellent-quality rubies, however, are extremely rare especially those weighing more than one carat. Outward beauty is not the only aspect that makes the ruby extremely popular. In comparison to most other gems, the ruby is also exceptionally tough. It registers a 9 on Mohs scale — a tool developed by mineralogist Friedrich Mohs to identify minerals and to measure their basic hardness.
This rating is excellent considering 10 is the highest value on the scale. On the other hand, there are less expensive options with rubies. For instance, you could choose a stone containing a bit of yellow. Your choices in this matter are largely a matter of taste.
These are much less valuable than rubies. Rubies are famous for not having much clarity. In fact, the vast majority of even higher-quality rubies have inclusions or fissures that can be seen with the naked eye. Unlike diamonds, these red stones remain highly desirable, even if they are less expensive.
In other words, inclusions influence the value of rubies but not necessarily their perceived beauty. In fact, star rubies are nearly opaque but very expensive. Learn More About Ruby Clarity. As with other gems, the price of a ruby is affected by its size.
Want to buy 2 carats of rubies? The following image is is an especially fine ruby: the eye-clean, Burmese pigeon blood, and impeccably well-cut. This gives you an idea of how total carat weight affects the price of rubies. Durability One of its most important characteristics is its ability to endure.
Rarity Wearing a gemstone which very few other people own is exciting. Acceptability Fashion trends and developments also play an important role in determining the value of different gemstones. Beauty Beauty is so subjective to every individual — what one might find beautiful is different from what someone else might think. While you may consider buying gemstones or diamonds it is important to understand how to value them.
Purple as a secondary color can actually be better in a ruby because it makes the red appear richer. Color tip: set a purplish red ruby in yellow gold , like they do in Burma. The yellow color will neutralize the blue in the purple, making the ruby appear even more red. This brings us to our last color criterion, saturation. Also, rubies that fluoresce glow in ultraviolet light can have even greater saturation. It should go without saying that if the color of a ruby is by far the most important factor, it would be crazy to even consider buying a ruby sight unseen.
This is the only way, for example, that gemologists can distinguish between pink sapphires and rubies. But it also leaves some room for error, so beware of these murky waters if someone is trying to sell you a ruby that looks a lot more to you like a pink sapphire!
Clarity refers to the number, size, color, location, and quality of imperfections in the ruby, which are known as inclusions. When a gemologist measures the clarity of a diamond, they use 10x magnification to get a super-magnified view of the inside of the stone.
The better the clarity, the more expensive the ruby. Today most rubies are heat-treated to improve color and clarity, but rubies that are not and have superb quality can fetch big money at market.
Interestingly enough, there is one example of inclusions actually increasing the value of the ruby. This is a rare occurrence called asterism in which three or six-point stars are visible in the stone when viewed under proper lighting. Unlike with diamonds, rubies are not graded on cut quality. This is because the cut of a ruby is much less of an important factor to consider than its color and clarity.
But as is the case with most gemstones, the true glow of the ruby is only revealed after a quality cut that maximizes light return and color.
There are four factors gem cutters must keep in mind when cutting sapphires and rubies. Having said that, you should also be aware that there are usually price jumps when you hit one carat, as well as three and five carats. If you want to buy a one carat ruby, consider going for a 0.
Rubies come from all around the world and are available in a range of different shapes and red shades. Common types include:. Like diamonds, rubies are cut into a variety of shapes. While the round brilliant cut is the most common shape for diamonds, rubies are typically shaped based on the formation of the stone rather than as a method of maximizing brilliance and fire. Rubies are increasingly becoming an alternative to diamonds for engagement rings and other jewelry.
Differences between rubies and diamonds include:. Rubies and sapphires are both varieties of the mineral corundum and share a large amount of the same chemistry. The key difference between rubies and sapphires is chemistry and color. Rubies contain trace amounts of the element chromium, which gives the stone its red color. Sapphires may contain several different trace elements that contribute to their color.
Just like diamonds , rubies can be created in a lab.
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