Delong Star Ruby

Species: Corundum
Colour: Varying red
Moh' Hardness: 9
Chemical composition: aluminium oxide
July's Birthstone and 40 th Wedding Ann iversary Stone

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Red and Pink are the symbolic colours we associate with love and anger, the strongest of emotions. As a symbol of love and length of a relationship, the pure red colour of a fine ruby is indeed appropriate.

Ruby (and sapphire) are the hardest gems after diamond and can be harder to chip or break than diamond. Ruby and sapphire are different colours of the same mineral — corundum.

Colour
The most beautiful red colour is a matter of personal taste. Many Australians tend to prefer a darker tone of red. Europeans tend to prefer lighter pinker red. Rubies also come in purplish and brownish reds, these are less expensive and rightly so, we suggest you avoid these hues. Medium to lighter tone rubies are usually brighter or more intense than darker gems. The more intense and saturated a coloured gem is, the more valuable it will be; these stones really turn heads, especially in subtly lit social settings. Fine pure red rubies will become heirlooms.

Shape
Rough sapphire and ruby crystals are both found as barrel shaped to flat tabular crystals. The most economical way to cut them is into oval and cushion shapes (squarish/rectangular ovals). Unlike diamonds there is no "textbook" ideal cut standard for the proportions and angles of or a ruby. A stone's transparency, its tone and its intensity, as well as the position of inclusions, make cutting a complex issue. Because some rough crystals are shallow they are cut into stones with a large spread. On first view, shallow gems appear to be a better size for the price, but have a dull and dead "see through" centre. This is especially true after a little dirt and grease builds up underneath, then they only sparkle around the outside edges. This see-through effect is called a "window", but with careful attention to design when making a setting we can minimise the problem and take advantage of the larger size.

Inclusions
Microscopic inclusions, sometimes called “silk” are a normal characteristic of rubies. Heat treatment is commonly undertaken before polishing and tends to “dissolve” these inclusions.

Inclusions do not affect the value of the stone, as long as the brilliance of the gemstone is maintained and they are not visible to the naked eye. Intensity and uniformity of a pure red colour are the factors used to determine the price of rubies.

Inclusions are, however, the easiest method of identifying the natural origin of a ruby. Completely flawless stones can be costly to prove natural origin, because in general we consider very ‘clean' gems to be synthetic or man made.

A rule of thumb: inclusions we neither see, nor see the effect of, will have no effect on the value or beauty of a ruby. But your standards and expectations and our experience will ensure you are fully informed and select wisely.

Not all inclusions are bad. A common type of inclusion in ruby is rutile needles. Parallel groupings of these microscopic needles create a silky sheen called chatoyancy. When cut in just the right crystal orientation a six pointed star will glow from within the gem. The result if the ruby is cut into a cabochon, is a star.

Cutting and size
Rubies, like sapphires, can also be cut too deep, although this is an advantage if the stone is a light tone as this will improve the colour (eg. pale Ceylonese rubies or pink sapphires). Very dark rubies can be dead if they are too deep, and you will pay too much because there is a “price by weight” mentality.

Like diamonds, ruby prices increase exponentially with weight. Fine 2 carat gems can cost 5 to 10 times more than stones half the weight. With this in mind, it is possible to reduce the cost of a piece of jewellery by designing a band style with a number of smaller rubies rather than one large gem. Round rubies larger than 1 carat are also rare and expensive. Well shaped and proportioned round, pear, marquise and emerald cut rubies fetch a premium, and unless especially necessary for a design, you may pay more for these shapes than for a similar quality oval or cushion shape.

Origin
Sources of ruby have traditionally been Thailand , Cambodia and Burma . Thai and Cambodian ruby is often the preferred choice of Australians, tending to darker berry reds. The finest Burmese ruby is an intense loud pinkish red. They are not common in Australia due perhaps to our preference for darker rubies.

Most Asian gems tend toward lighter and sometimes purplish in colour. Light coloured rubies in shades through to pink sapphire are found in Ceylon . African material, however, tends to be darker red to brownish-red. We have been impressed with the best of them, whilst the worst are brownish-reds, similar to garnet. They sell for a fraction of the price. The best African gems, and the ones we stock and recommend are strong deep reds you will be proud to own.

Most of the record sales at London and New York auctions are certified Burmese rubies, proven by laboratory identification of inclusions to be from Burma . A new mine in Vietnam has produced rubies very similar to gems from Burma . Both countries are active producers today with two main sources from Burma supplying mainly smaller (under 1/2ct) stones that often have cloudy inclusions. These clouds can create a pleasing effect of ‘red on red'. Where-as a ruby generally appears very dark with some very bright flashes, some Burmese rubies can have the flashes displayed on a red background because finely disseminated inclusions cause the whole stone to glow. Traditionally Burmese rubies are associated with "pigeon's blood" colour, a term to be avoided as few people have suitable experience with pigeons to be able to communicate what pigeon's blood looks like!

Ultimately, the choice is yours, and your selection will be a personal reflection. As always we will help you to select a ruby which fits your criteria. The process involves sourcing gems from a number of suppliers, and then comparing each gem with you to establish its merits and value. The final selection will only be made after you have been able to weigh up all of the information and assess which ruby suits you best.

 Famous Rubies
Ruby is one the most expensive gemstones, rubies being rarer than comparable diamonds. The largest ruby able to be cut was found in Burma and divided into three parts. Famous stones of exceptional beauty are the Edwardes ruby (167 carats) in the British Museum of Natural History in London, and the Peace ruby (43 carats), thus called because it was found in 1919 at the end of World War 1.

For care and cleaning of your rubies go to Frequently Asked Questions.