| Blue, green and red - sapphire, emerald
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| | with other sources, such as Kenya,
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| and ruby - the colored-stone trinity.
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| | Pakistan and Afghanistan, material clean
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| There is something primal about our
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| | enough for faceting is rare. Thus the
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| attraction to these gems. Each relates to
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| | combination of fine color (body color
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| a familiar part of life. Blue is ocean
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| | plus fluorescence) and facetable material
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| sky. Green - verdant soothing. And red?
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| | (i.e., internally clean) has put the
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| Red is fire, blood, the very life-giver
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| | Burmese ruby squarely atop the crimson
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| itself - passion. Women do not paint
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| | crest. Indeed, some consider Burma to be
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| their lips green, nor do men send their
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| | not just the best source, but the only
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| love blue valentines. No, for thoughts of
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| | source of stones fit to be called ruby.
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| love and passion, only one color will do
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| | Seeing red
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| - red. And no more passionate gem exists
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| | What do I look for in ruby? Bright is
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| than the ruby.
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| | first and foremost. Can't stand the dull
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| That said, let us take a look at the
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| | or dark stuff. Not for me the burgundy
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| beast known as ruby.
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| | reds typical of the Thai/Cambodian
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| Building the perfect beast
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| | border. When I fill my tank, I want
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| Ruby is among the rarest of all the major
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| | gasoline that burns.
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| precious stones, with only a handful of
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| | Color
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| sources producing facet qualities in any
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| | For ruby, the intensity of the red color
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| commercial quantity. In analyzing this
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| | is the primary factor in determining
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| gem we must first realize the perfect
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| | value. The ideal stone displays an
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| ruby does not exist. Get it out of your
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| | intense, rich crimson without being too
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| head. With ruby, there are no tens. So
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| | light or too dark. Stones which are too
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| rare is this lass that even an eight is
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| | dark and garnety in appearance, or too
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| worthy of down-on-your-knees idol
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| | light in color, are less highly valued.
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| worship.
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| | The finest rubies display a color similar
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| Why that is so is because fine ruby
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| | to that of a red traffic light.
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| requires chromium, and chromium, as it
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| | There is a tendency for the market to
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| does in emerald and alexandrite, messes
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| | favor stones of the intense red-red
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| with the stone, breaks it up inside. Thus
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| | color. Certainly the highest prices are
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| there are plenty of corundums with
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| | paid for these. But do not overlook the
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| chromium, but only a rare few that grow
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| | slightly less intense shades. Such gems
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| slowly enough to achieve perfection.
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| | have a brightness missing in their more
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| The best rubies have high color
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| | saturate brethren and often look better
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| saturation. This results from a mixture
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| | in the low lighting that one typically
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| of the slightly bluish red body color and
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| | wears fine jewelry. Like beautiful women,
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| the purer red fluorescent emission.
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| | rubies do come in many shades, the
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| Let it glow
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| | preference for which is a matter of
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| Ruby's red glow is like the snowflake and
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| | personal taste. Ah, but isn't that what
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| the rainbow. In one of those glorious
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| | makes life worth living?
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| accidents of nature, ruby is blessed with
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| | Clarity
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| both a red body color and a tendency to
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| | In terms of clarity, ruby tends to be
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| take bits of visible blue and green light
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| | more included than sapphire. While the
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| and blast them back with a laser-like red
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| | general rule is to look for stones that
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| emission. Indeed, the first lasers made
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| | are eye-clean, i.e., with no inclusions
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| use of this very property (synthetic ruby
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| | visible to the unaided eye, extremely
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| is still a common laser material).
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| | fine silk throughout the stone can
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| This red glow is key, for it tends to
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| | actually enhance the beauty of some
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| cover up the dark areas of the stone
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| | rubies.
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| caused by extinction from cutting. Thai
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| | For star rubies, while a certain amount
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| Cambodian rubies might possess a purer
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| | of silk is necessary to create the star
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| red (less purple) body color, but they
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| | effect, too much desaturates the color,
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| lack the strong fluorescence. These
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| | making it appear grayish. This is
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| Fe-rich rubies display good color where
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| | undesirable.
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| light is properly reflected off pavilion
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| | Cut
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| facets (internal brilliance). However,
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| | In the market, rubies are found in a
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| where facets are cut too steep, light
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| | variety of shapes and cutting styles.
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| exits through the side instead of
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| | Ovals are cushions are the most common,
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| returning to the eye, creating darker
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| | but rounds are also seen, as are other
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| areas (extinction).
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| | shapes, such as the heart or emerald cut.
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| All stones possess extinction to a
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| | Slight premiums are paid for round
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| certain degree, but in fine rubies, the
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| | stones, while slight discounts apply for
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| strong crimson fluorescence masks it. The
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| | pears and marquises. Stones that are
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| best Burmese stones actually glow red and
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| | overly deep or shallow should generally
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| appear as though Mother Nature brushed a
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| | be avoided.
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| broad swath of fluorescent red paint
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| | Cabochon-cut rubies are also common. This
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| across the face of the stone. This is the
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| | cut is used for star stones, or those not
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| carbuncle of the ancients, a term derived
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| | clean enough to facet. The best cabochons
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| from the glowing embers of a fire.
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| | are reasonably transparent, with nice
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| Indeed, the King of Ceylon was said to
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| | smooth domes and good symmetry. Avoid
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| possess a ruby that shone so brightly
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| | stones with too much excess weight below
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| that when he brought it out at night, it
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| | the girdle, unless they are priced
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| would light up the entire palace.
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| | accordingly.
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| Gossamer
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| | Prices
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| What gods are these? Not only did they
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| | With the exception of imperial jadeite
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| bless the ruby with an inborn glow to
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| | and certain rare colors of diamond, ruby
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| match its scarlet skin, but such was
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| | is the world's most expensive gem. But
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| their benevolence that they also gave us
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| | like all gem materials, low-quality
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| silk - oriented needles of rutile -
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| | (i.e., non-gem quality) pieces may be
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| gossamer threads that banish the darkness
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| | available for a few dollars per carat.
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| besmirching the rest of the mortal gem
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| | Such stones are generally not clean
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| world.
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| | enough to facet. The highest price per
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| Such tiny exsolved inclusions scatter
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| | carat ever paid for a ruby was Alan
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| light onto facets that would otherwise be
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| | Caplan's Ruby ("Mogok Ruby"), a 15.97-ct.
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| extinct (dark). This gives softness, as
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| | faceted stone that sold at Sotheby's New
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| well as spreading it across a greater
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| | York, Oct., 1988 for $3,630,000 ($227,301
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| part of the gem's face. Thai/Cambodian
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| | ct).
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| rubies contain no rutile silk, and thus
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| | Stone Sizes
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| possess more extinction.
| |
| | Large rubies of quality are far more rare
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| In actuality, rubies from most sources
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| | than large sapphires of equal quality.
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| possess a strong red fluorescence and
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| | Indeed, any untreated ruby of quality
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| silk similar to those from Burma, with
| |
| | above two carats is a rare stone;
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| the Thai/Cambodian rubies being the
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| | untreated rubies of fine quality above
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| exception. However, those from Sri Lanka
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| | five carats are world-class pieces
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| are generally too light in color, while,
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| |
|
