As we all know, different labs use different criteria when determining whether a stone is a ruby or merely a fancy sapphire. Does anyone have any first hand experience with labs who are a bit more generous in this respect? Possibly in Asia?
_________________ I just dreamed that I was a butterfly.
Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 11:00 am Posts: 1133 Location: Monterey, CA
Conncerning opinions, it is a waste of time arguing. Without a mutually agreed upon definition of how a ruby differs from a pink sapphire, discussion is pointless. Sorry.
Bill, for the most part I would agree with you, given two professionals doing business. However listing a stone at auction, for instance, with a certification that states Fancy sapphire rather than ruby is going to drastically effect it's price. The premium is in the name, as it were, not the color. I do not want to debate or discuss the different nuances between pink or fancy sapphire and ruby. What I am looking for is a lab that will, given all other things equal, usually come down on the ruby side rather than fancy sapphire. Sad as it may be, I find this to be the reality of the world at the moment and I would really like to earn the most from my investment.
_________________ I just dreamed that I was a butterfly.
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am Posts: 6461 Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
The difference between pink sapphire and ruby, seems to me to be subjective. You may have a lab report stating "ruby", but if the person looking at the stone sees "pink", what good is the report?
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Actually, this has nothing to do with the arbitrary dividing between pink sapphire and ruby. The stones I have are a mix of red and orange with sometimes a slight brownish modifier. Again, I am not interested in a debate about how red is red. What I am really hoping for is to find a lab to send them to which will most likely grade the borderline ones as ruby. The philosophical question as to whether it matters or not is of no consequence to me. I know that having certification that says a stone is a unheated, untreated, RUBY, matters to some buyers, albeit, the more uneducated ones. This all stems from the fact that I sent a 2.79ct "ruby" to AGL and it came back with a determination of "fancy sapphire". I posted a pic of this same stone here on G.O. as a ruby and no one batted an eye. I have no argument with AGL about their determination either. They just called it as they saw it.
_________________ I just dreamed that I was a butterfly.
Nice stone. The Burmese (myanmar) I have spoken to are happy to call a pinkish ruby "ruby", where a GIA-er would argue sapphire. I would advise an Asian Lab, unfortunatly it will not have the impact that a USA lab will have (in this market). I'd go GIA; if it is not to your liking don't use it.
Well... on my monitor it sure looks ruby IRL is of course the only way to actually find out. To me if a corundum is more red than orange, more red than purple, more red than pink or more red than brownish it is a ruby. Main tone red... ruby. That's my way of seeing it. Probably most scandinavians are not that picky about what the stone is called as long as it is beautiful and the price is right
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