I finally received my "ruby beads" from Hong Kong; they seem dyed 'something-or-other. Under a loupe they are cloudy with very evenly spread 'flecks' inside. However I couldn't scratch them with german steel so they aren't quartz. Can corundum be dyed? Heat-treated to this nice ruby color? What else could they be? 6mm Natural Ruby Round Loose Bead Gemstone 15" is what the ebay ad said.
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:44 am Posts: 525 Location: PAKISTAN-Peshawar
Dear Teacher Barbra Voltaire if you see the red beads picture it look like a Quartz not Ruby.
when you enlarge the picture then see the transparency in the beads. This type transparent ruby is not used for beads making. In my personal opinion that it is not a dyed Ruby. It is a dyed Quartz or some other Synthetic or imitation material.
Huk, Like I posted originally, these beads will NOT scratch with good steel probes so it can't be "quartz". What other synthetic or otherwise material would be that hard?
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Osman khattak wrote:
Dear Teacher Barbra Voltaire if you see the red beads picture it look like a Quartz not Ruby.
when you enlarge the picture then see the transparency in the beads. This type transparent ruby is not used for beads making. In my personal opinion that it is not a dyed Ruby. It is a dyed Quartz or some other Synthetic or imitation material.
HUK
You know, can't really tell much from a photo. Quartz wouldn't be the first thing that comes to my mind though when seeing the picture. Kirk, are you still working on getting some instruments together so you can have more clues to identify an unknown? I'd like a little more than results of a hardness test.
Barbara, I don't have much access to other equipment and the beads were too cheap to be able to go out and buy some. What instruments would you suggest if I can borrow any? I doubt if the transparency is sufficient to use a refractometer, right? kirk
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:44 am Posts: 525 Location: PAKISTAN-Peshawar
Dear kirk, Today I go to one of gemstone shop in Peshawar and take some pictures of dyed quartz with comes from China.
The Pictures are not a high quality but it will clear you.
It is very interesting that they sold the red material in the name of Ruby.
The yellow material is sold in the name of Topaz. The Green material in sold in the name of Emerald. The purple material is sold in the name of Amethyst.
Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 11:00 am Posts: 1133 Location: Monterey, CA
Quote:
Like I posted originally, these beads will NOT scratch with good steel probes so it can't be "quartz". What other synthetic or otherwise material would be that hard? -------- I'd like a little more than results of a hardness test.
“good steel probes” are not an accepted tool for measuring Mohs hardness. Consequently, your conclusion is essentially irrelevant.
Hardness is determined by what WILL scratch the sample, not by what won’t. One doesn’t identify quartz by determining it has a hardness of 7, but rather because it doesn’t have a hardness of 8.
Hardness is perfectly adequate for separating quartz from ruby as one has a value of 7 and the other has a value of 9 and a hardness point of 8 will clearly separate the two. Of course, knowing hardness does not equal identification of the material.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
As Dr. Hanneman pointed out, if we were sure the beads were either ruby or quartz, hardness would suffice for separation.
If you want to drop a bead in the mail Kirk, I'll take a look at it for you.
Hamid, all those heads are quartz? I'm impressed. Gee, I'd love to have one of each. Would the company make me a multi color strand. Price? I suspect the price of one of each color would not break the bank.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Sounds like a great deal.... Do a little research on the shipping, and let me know. There is a special phrase used to describe such shipments to keep the price down. Does anyone remember what that is?
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