Ruby & Sapphire

Ruby

Ruby has been the world's most valued gemstone for thousands of years. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, ruby is called ratnaraj, or "king of precious stones". In fact, rubies are today still more valuable and rare than even the top quality colorless diamonds.

Ruby is the gem quality of the mineral corundum. It is classified among the most valuable of gems and is perhaps the toughest and most durable gemstone available on the market. With a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, ruby (like it's cousin sapphire,) is harder than any other gem but diamond!

Rubies and sapphires are commonly enhanced with a process called "heat treatment." This process is permanent and safe and happens to approximately 80-90% of the stones on the market. If a stone is "unheated" it does not necessarily command more money.

The most important factor in the value of a ruby is color. The top qualities are an intense red color. The most preferred color is a deep blood red with a slightly bluish hue. Such ruby is known as "Burmese Ruby."

Burmese Ruby
Rubies from the legendary mines in Mogok often have a pure red color, which is often described as "pigeon's-blood" although that term is more fanciful than an actual practical standard in the trade today. Myanmar also produces intense pinkish red rubies that are vivid red color and extremely beautiful. Many of the rubies from Burma have a strong fluorescence when exposed to ultraviolet rays like those in sunlight, which layers on extra color. Burmese rubies have a reputation of holding their vivid color under all lighting conditions.

Price Ranges:
Under 1 carat = $100 to $600
1 carat and above = $800 to $3,000
2 carats = $1,800 to $10,000

Thai rubies
Thailand is the world's most important ruby trading center. Most rubies on the market are from Thailand, and these rubies are generally darker red in tone: a real red, tending toward burgundy rather than pink, as Burma rubies do. Some have a slightly brownish hue. The province of Chantabun proper has long been known as being rich in rubies. The well known explorer Henri Mouhot, writing in 1868, said "precious stones of good quality are found in the mountains of Chantabun." Most rubies can be heat-treated to improve color.

Price Ranges:
Under 1 carat = $100 to $500
1 carat and above = $700 to $2,000
2 carats = $1,500 to $6,000

African Rubies
Rubies from Kenya and Tanzania surprised the world when they were discovered in the sixties because their color rivals the world's best. Unfortunately, most of the ruby production in these countries have many inclusions that diminish transparency. Rubies from the African mines are rarely transparent enough to facet. However, their fantastic color is displayed to full advantage when cut cabochon style. A few rare clean stones have been seen which are top quality.

Price Ranges:
Under 1 carat = $100 to $500
1 carat and above = $800 to $2,500
2 carats = $1,800 to $7,500

Occasionally a few fine top-quality rubies appear on the market from Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Russia. The terrain in these areas has made exploration for gemstones very difficult but someday they may produce significant quantities for the world market.

Price Ranges:
Under 1 carat = $50 to $300
1 carat and above = $500 to $1,500
2 carats = $1,200 to $3,000

After color, the other factors that influence the value of a ruby are clarity, cut, and size. Rubies that are perfectly transparent, with no tiny flaws, are more valuable than those with inclusions visible to the naked eye.

Cut can make a big difference in how attractive and lively a ruby appears to the eye. A well-cut stone should reflect light back evenly across the surface without a dark or washed-out area in the center that can result from a stone that is too deep or shallow. The shape should also be symmetrical and there should not be any nicks or scratches in the polish. Larger rubies are rarer and will cost more than smaller stones of the same quality.

Sapphire

Sapphire is a "precious stone." It is a variety of the mineral species corundum. Sapphire, the celestial gemstone, has long symbolized truth, sincerity, and faithfulness. Sapphire is the birthstone for September, the month when the most babies are born.
Sapphire is classified among the most valuable of gems and is perhaps the toughest and most durable gemstone available on the market. With a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphire is harder than any other gem but diamond!

Sapphires and rubies are commonly enhanced with a process called "heat treatment." This process is permanent and safe and happens to approximately 80-90% of the stones on the market. If a stone is "unheated" it does not necessarily command more money.

Color
Sapphire is found in all the colors of the rainbow: from midnight blue to fiery reddish-orange to violet. The best sapphires hold the brightness of their color under all different types of lighting. The most valuable blue sapphires have a medium intense, vivid blue color. Any black, gray, or green overtones mixed in with the blue will reduce a stone's value. In addition to blue, sapphires are available in every color but red simply because a red sapphire would be called a ruby. Pink shades of corundum are known either as pink ruby or pink sapphire. Sapphire in colors other than blue is often referred to as Fancy sapphire.
Blue sapphires are found chiefly in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar and also in Australia and in the United States (in Montana). The most famous sources for sapphire are Kashmir and Burma. Kashmir sapphires are of a beautiful cornflower blue and are highly valued. Most fine sapphire on the market today comes from Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan sapphires
As beautiful as their country of origin, Sri Lankan sapphires are generally paler in color, have a wide range of beautiful blues from delicate sky blue colors to rich saturated hues.

Price Ranges:
1 carat = $2,000-$4,500
2 carats = $5,000 to $20,000

Montana sapphires
Better known as "Yogo" sapphires (from the Yogo Gulch in Montana.) These American beauties have a more metallic luster with lighter tones that are free of color zoning and heat treatments. These sapphires are "cleaner" and are more brilliant than Australian sapphires. Yogo sapphires are found embedded in hard rock, making mining difficult and expensive.

Price Ranges:
1carat = $900-$3,000
2 carats = $1,800 to $7,500

Australian sapphires
Australian sapphires are knick-named the "bread and butter blue." These sapphires are more common, easier to mine and are generally of a dark blue shade approaching black. Heat treatments are common to enhance their blue colors and minimize their green undertones.

Price Ranges:
1 carat = $600-$2,000
2 carats = $1,600 to $4,000

Star sapphire
Like rubies of similar structure, some sapphires display a six-pointed star when cut to a cabochon (round-topped) shape and exposed to direct sunlight. Such star sapphires are usually obtained from Sri Lanka.

Price Ranges:
Price Per carat = $75.00 - 1,500

Fancy sapphire
Sapphire is often considered to be synonymous with the color blue, however, sapphire is beautiful beyond blue, in every color but red, because red is called ruby.

Price Ranges:
1 carat = $60-$1,400
2 carats = $200 to $3,000

The other colors of sapphire can be just as beautiful and rare - or even rarer - than the blue but they are usually priced less. Yellow, orange, lavender, and other pastel shades are especially affordable. The most valuable other fancy sapphire is an orange-pink or pinkish-orange called "padparadscha" after the lotus blossom.

Padparadscha sapphires
Are very rare and the exact definition has always been a matter of debate: different dealers and different laboratories around the world disagree on the exact color described by this term. Some dealers even argue that the term should not be limited to the pastel shades of Sri Lankan sapphires but should also include the more firey shades of reddish-orange from the Umba Valley in Tanzania. Padparadscha sapphires sell at a premium, nearing the price for a fine blue sapphire. Although the exact description is debated, the beauty of these rare gemstones is not, with their delicate blended shades the color of fresh salmon and sunsets.

Price ranges:
Below 1 carat = $300-$800
1carat = $1,200 to $3,500
2 carats = $2,000 to $7,000

Other very popular shades of fancy sapphires are yellows, bright oranges, lavender and purples, and a bluish green color.

Generally, the more vivid the color, the more valuable the fancy sapphire. If the color is in the pastel range, the clarity should be good: because in lighter tones inclusions are more noticeable, the trade usually prefers the gemstones to be cleaner with fewer visible inclusions. In a lighter colored gemstone, the cut is also more important: it should reflect light back evenly across the face of the stone, making it lively and brilliant. With darker more intense colors, the cut is not as critical because the color creates its own impact.

As with all gemstones, sapphires that are "clean" and have few visible inclusions or tiny flaws are the most valuable.