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Photos above: Fully saturated purple shows somewhat dull or lifeless in front of the camera. Add a tint of secondary color, and that changes dramatically. The following three stones, all with strong color cross-over, do very well in front of the camera. They immediately catch the eyes attention and leave no doubt about their attractiveness.
Photos above: Purple as/with secondary hue is very photogenic. Of course, these stones are in deed fabulously intense colored but they also show it straight away. Thus, when buying purple sapphires on the web: Give them some credit!
Though prices shall not be a function of the photogenic capabilities of a variety, they do influence the market situation. Hence, purples are sold relatively more expensive in the traditional channels than they are sold on the web. This is true for all gems, but especially for the camera-shy purple.
 Extreme Pink
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Photos above: Light pinks are mercilessly self-critical.
Strongly colored pinks on the other hand are more than robust. The following shots were immediate photographic "bull-eyes", and do neither exaggerate the stones beauty nor understate their weaknesses. Further around the color wheel this is taken to the extreme when even opaque rubies still make relatively good photos.
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Photos above: Hot pinks jump straight into the camera without problems.
As a rule, the more color in a pink the more critical you should be about any flaw you can see on the image. Be wary with hot pinks that look too included or windowed, they probably are. Unless the price reflects the visible flaw and the seller names it for what is it, you might have a bad awakening.
On the other side you can make a good catch if you find a fine, but lightly colored, pink that is undervalued due to its bad photo manners.
See our pink sapphires: under 1 carat, 1-2 carat, over 2 carat.
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White Sapphire
Truly colorless sapphires are called "white", and are said to be found exclusively in
Fine untreated white sapphires have become rare since they can be turned blue, orange or yellow with high heat, irradiation and various other treatments.
White sapphire rivals diamond in some ways. Thus they were often used as a substitute. However, many people have become aware that they do have their own charm, and since then they are valued far above mere cheap wanna-be diamonds.
Most white sapphires like the pinks, are heated, even if on lower temperatures. Some like to conceal this as "only blow-heat". We don't.
Many whites do have light hues - pink, purple or a tint of blue. The border between a pale blue and a white sapphire with a blue tint is not clearly set. From the point of untreated stones, we define the border in favor of color.
A white sapphire that shows some, say, blue but may not be called a blue sapphire, is here referred to as a "tinted white". Such a tint may be imagined as the lightest of all tones. Clear water in a glass bottle for example or ice leaves an impression of being bluish, or white marble might shine yellowish. However, one wouldn't call this blue or yellow straight away.
The tints in white are in fact often so fine that professional graders can not agree on them. Some gem labs define such a stone as "faint blue" some tend to call it "colorless". At the end of the day it comes down to your personal perception and taste. In any case we will explicitly mention the faintest idea of color in our comment.
All whites do exhibit color when in colored light of course, but that does not count as a tint.
White sapphire on photo: Capturing the stars.
Here are some examples of sapphires that show various tints, but may still be counted as whites:
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| Lavender | Pink/Purple | Pale Blue |
Photos above: Three unheated white sapphires with just an idea of color. The pinkish center stone is the same as above. One photo was taken with some sunlight, the other one in very cold dim day light.
When choosing a tinted white sapphire on the web, make sure that the stone does not only show colors resulting from an external light effect. Ask the seller and see for the color definition of the lab certificate if you are not sure.
If there is a tint, and you like it, you might have the chance for a bargain in your color of choice.
At any rate, white sapphires are thankful photogenic models. They sparkle and shine with all might. Surprisingly they are not as sensitive to inclusions as one would expect from the experience with yellow or light pink.
The only difficulty one encounters with whites is to rightly capture their luster. Some well cut whites are so good in throwing back light (which is somehow the life-purpose of any gem) that they can't be photographed from the front. Those stones you will find to be shot from a side angle.
Though not satisfying this is often the only way of capturing the stone without simply having a fuzzy light in, say, oval shape on the picture.
Here are some whites that had to be photographed from the side because their luster was too strong to be captured.
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Photos above: Three whites with luster too strong for the camera. Hence they had to be shot from the side.
That of course does not mean every white with a frontal photograph are dull.
The following stones sure do have extra fine luster but they probably dispense the light in a way that does not blind the camera, and/or have been shot in slightly dimmed day light, and thus are less aggressive.
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Photos above: Whites allowing frontal shots in dim light.
As so often in gem photography, one can not show all qualities (or flaws) in one shot. If the value of the stone (and thus the invested time) does justify multiple views, a row of photos is probably the best way to overcome this issue.
However, there is an obvious connection between an in-depth multi-angle multi-light photo-analysis and the price of a gem. Thus we do not generally photograph every stone from every angle in all light conditions, but deliver additional photos on request.
At any rate, a seller should be willing to provide you with a written statement or an additional photo if you have doubts about certain feature like color or are worried about a flaw.
A last advice regarding untreated white sapphire: Buy them before prices go up.
See our white sapphires.
Green Sapphire:
Earthy or Arctic Montana
Compared with other green gemstones (say tsavorite or tourmaline) the green variety of sapphire makes honest but simple photos. Compared to other sapphire colors like pink or blue, they are, well, not-so-shocking.
There is no neon-electric or extraterrestrial chrome green in sapphire. Theirs, with iron as color agent, is an earthy topic. Even the most painless photo-shoppers on Ebay do not dare to display them in shock-green. Green sapphires are pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get.
Green sapphire does come in certain types from certain origins. There are exceptions and the usual oddities but one might say that there are three classes of green sapphires.
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Here are two classical green sapphire from
When buying untreated Australian green sapphire keep away from too dark stones. Check for the light settings on the pictures: It should not seem artificially over-lit or brightened. Australian greens are still a great bargain.
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Then we have the more floristic greens coming from
Watch out for the blue-green like the one here, they have gained much financial ground over the last years. Especially those rare specimens holding equilibrium of green and blue have been strongly appreciated.
Bargain hunters may still find such stone priced at greenish levels.
Cold Montana
Finally there are are the legendary
More often than not, they display cross-overs between blue and green; and they also have great luster which is desired but difficult for images:
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Aren't they truly different in character?
They do not compare with the posh blue or pinks of the world. Austere, frugal and often pale; they have an arctic charm and it shows on photo.
Simply said: One must like them. And many do.
See our green sapphires: under 1 carat, 1-2 carat or over 2 carat.
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Star Sapphire & Ruby
Commonly stars are known in ruby and sapphire but they also appear in garnet, spinel and other less known varieties. There are differences between those stars but we will here pretend that nature made all stars equal.
Gemstone phenomena, especially asterism, are a tough call to judge on photo. However, no normal jeweler will be able to show you a fine natural star sapphire, let alone a selection to choose from. Good stars are rare even beyond the normal gemstone rarity. Unless you live in a metropolis or travel to
Looking at images on the web, true stars seem to be quite an ugly bunch. Rarely do they show nice colors, often they are zoned, patchy, heavily included, silky, egg-shaped and at times the asterism is hardly visible at all.
And of course you will find many "perfect", "fully colored", giant star sapphires or rubies for a few dollars. These are synthetic or surface diffused or lead-glass filled gems which are mostly worth just as much as they cost.
There is nothing wrong with twenty carat Linde star for fifty dollar, but be wary of those sellers trying to offer them as real deal for $20,000.
Here are some typical examples of undisclosed fake stars:
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So, they are either ugly or faked?
No, don't be discouraged. Real, natural stars are mind-shaking and heart-breaking.
Many star skeptics have become sworn star fans after their first encounter with fine quality:
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| Ceylon Star Sapphire | Mogok Star Ruby | 12 Ray Burmese Star |
Here is what to look for when selecting a star sapphire or ruby online.
The value of any star gem depends strongly on the quality of its asterism, which is defined by (no order):
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Sharpness
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Symmetry & linearity
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Completeness (6 rays mostly)
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Travel (smoothness of movement)
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Position
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Lucidity & Depth
The relative importance of these criteria are questions of personal taste, culture and fashion. Most collectors would perhaps trade in some off-centeredness for good movement, or overlook a meandering leg while frowning at a missing one.
We feel lucidity, travel, position and completeness may be most important and price relevant.
Only then, with decreasing relevance, come:
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Color
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Clarity (inclusions)
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Shape
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Finish (top and bottom)
Asterism and color together easily make up 80% of the value of a star (sapphire, ruby or any other variety).
With ten dimensions (as compared to the old 4 Cs) stars are a quite demanding topic. But they are rewarding, too.
Let us tackle each issue separately from the web's point of view:
1. Sharpness is easily shown on the web. Here are three stars (spinel and sapphire) with decreasing sharpness:
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| Star Spinel | Black Sapphire | Pink Sapphire |
Easy, right?
Three remarks, though:
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There is an ideal distance between spotlight and the gem bringing out the sharpest star. You may assume that the photo captures this point. (unless stated otherwise in the grading report)
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In general, a camera shows stars not as sharp as the eye perceives them. Hence, when you see a sharp star on photo you can safely conclude that the star is actually very good in person. If you can just make out the star on the photo, it will be fleeting and in need of a strong single spotlight.
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Please be advised that one may well find faked (photo-shoped) sharp stars on Ebay or elsewhere. As always, if it is too good to be true... and never buy without 3rd party report.
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2. Symmetry and linearity too, are easy: What you see is what you get.
Photo: A rather symmetric white star sapphire with some snaky rays.
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4. Travel, the ability and smoothness of the star traveling over the stone, is not really possible to show on the web (not yet at least). Until online video technology has advanced further, you will have to rely on the seller's description and check later in person.
Ideally the star follows a light source smoothly, not jerking and jumping, while staying intact and sharp. Don't expect perfection though: Every star has a weak area or two. Value reducing would be a loss of completeness or even a sudden disappearance of the star during movement.
6. Position too, is a tricky business on the internet. In order to show the star on a photo one must bring it close to the center. Thus, on a photo, the star will usually be centered. But that does not mean it actually is.
Photo: Three stars looking halfway centered which are in person off centered:
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Even a 100% centered star would need camera and spotlight in the same position (which is next to impossible). Hence, position is always a criterion that one must question further even if the photo looks great.
Sometimes you may see the light coming obviously from the side while the star sits centered, meaning that, when the light is moved up, the star will probably shift off-center. However, this is not 100% conclusive. Mostly you will need to rely on the seller's evaluation.
Whenever useful we try to put a number to off-centeredness: "45 degree off-center" for example indicates that when the spotlight is positioned straight above, the center of the star sits half way down the stone. Ten degree would mean the star is just slightly off center and more than 60 degree would send it nearly over the edge.
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6. Lucidity & Depth are connected. In one extreme we will have completely opaque material with the star sitting on the surface. Opaqueness is easy to spot on photos. It looks like a solid piece of material with the rays fixed or painted onto the surface.
Photo: Opaque star ruby with the star confined to the surface.
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At the other end of the spectrum we may have highly transparent quality with the rays reaching into the body. One can, however, not expect 100% transparency because needles are necessary to break the light and show the star.
If the needles are very fine and yet the star is clearly visible, then ... There is magic: The rays sway like silver curtains inside this most dense material.
Photo: Semi-Translucent star sapphire with rays reaching into the gem
Most stars however are rather opaque characters and transparency is highly priced.
So much to the evaluation of asterism.
The remaining four points are also relevant in normal gems but some additions are helpful.
7. Color: Strong colors are extremely rare in stars. Even the best star will have a silky, silvery sheen to it which clouds its saturation. This is unavoidable. A star needs needles.
Most stars come in grayish, foggy mild colors. Exceptions, like the one below, exist but they are very costly and yet can not rival the intenseness of a 100% transparent gem:
Novices will be disappointed when expecting to find a neon red ruby or a hot pink sapphire with perfect asterism.
One has to appreciate the silkiness as part of the phenomena, and see the color as an add-on. Even grayish white stars have good value if their asterism is of high quality.
The main problem, however, when judging colors on photo springs from the fact that any spotlight, needed to show the star, affects the character of the color. There is no cure to this.
If the spotlight alters the color too much we often add a "no-star" image to show the gem's "2nd" color. This means one image to show the star, and one more to show the color (without a spotlight) under mixed and diffused light conditions:
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However, this is not fully satisfying since star quality and color saturation interact. Again you have to read the sellers description carefully and trust his judgment until you can examine the stone yourself.
There is a trade-off between a weak star and a full color: The finer the needles, the better the color potential, but the weaker the star.
Hence, the worst of all possible stars will be valued close to a cabochon of similar quality. Thinking of ruby, we would, at some point, discard the asterism and cut the cabochon into a facetted gem with that sought-after silky ruby sheen.
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8. Clarity: Stars are by nature often more included than normal facetted gemstones (beyond their needle structure). This may be connected to their geological origin as semi-transparent material. However, inclusions should not dominate the overall appearance or hinder the rays from traveling.
Photo: Star padparadscha with orange inclusions and yellow color zones adding beautifully to the sunset theme.
Stars also often display stronger color zones. Here too, one has to be tolerant. As long as the star runs unhindered through those color zones you are still on the good side, even if the price of such a gem must be well below an evenly saturated sample.
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9. The shape of a star is limited to round or oval cabochon with rare exceptions.
Photo: Pear shape star sapphire (pair)
Generally, asymmetric shapes or other unevenness will reduce prices or should be re-cut straight away. Stars may come flat or dome shaped but this isn't of much importance since there are no windows or blackouts to fear as in facetted gems.
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10. Finally the finish of a star: While the dome must be smooth and evenly polished the bottom is often left rough and uneven, frequently even with unattractive edges, holes and other flaws. Don't worry about it.
Photo: As-good-as-it-gets back of a star sapphire: Unpolished, no over-weight, no flaws.
The only thing that counts in a star sapphire or ruby is the top. Of course, in an ideal world, the bottom too can be pretty but don't count on it.
The bottom does not need to be nice but must be as small as possible, not bulging and thus producing extra weight. Enough bottom to accommodate a setting is all weight you want to pay for. A tiny star sitting on a giant rock of corundum will not be priced per carat.
Summary:
- The most important quality of a star sapphire, ruby (or any other variety) is its asterism
- The main criterion of asterism may be lucidity, completeness, position and travel
- Lucidity and completeness are possible to judge online
- Position and travel are not conclusive by photo only, but need the sellers input
- Asterism and color together determine the value of a star gem
- Strong colors in transparent stones are highly priced but extremely rare
- Some fogginess/silkiness is necessary in every star
- Colors may vary depending on the type and intensity of the spotlight
- Watch out for over-weight bottoms
Treatment of Star Sapphire & Ruby:
Many gem dealers will claim that stars can not be treated. This is nonsense. They can not be ultra-high-heated above 1200 degree because this might melt the needles. Stars are regularly heated below 1200 degree, lead-glass-healed, diffused or filled with bismuth or other chemicals.
See our stars: under 2 carat, over 2 carat.
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Buying Pairs on the Internet
If you adore individual jewelry you may soon be searching a matched pair for earrings or side stones for a ring or necklace. The internet is often the only venue to visit.
Here is some advice on how to judge pairs on the web. These are valid for all varieties, not only sapphires. Images of pairs are tricky even by gemstone standards. It is best to concentrate on facts (clarity, tone, dimensions etc.) and use the photos as additional information and overview.
The collector knows there are no two identical gemstones. If you see a 100% identical pair online it is most likely one stone copied and rotated digitally.
Unless you settle for a calibrated and artificially colored stone cut by a machine you will have to accept some differences, especially when you use the lens. However, two gemstones need to have a similar appearance and character to be in harmony as a pair.
A practical test for two similar gems is simply to mix them up. If you need the carat weight to sort them back to their certificates they have passed the test.
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In a more thorough approach let us follow the 4C to evaluate a pair:
Carat (size): Many people get overly focused on searching identical carat weight in pairs. This is not necessary and indeed very rare to find. More relevant is the so called "face", the upside dimension of a gem. Two gems might have the same carat weight and yet very different faces and vice versa.
As a rule of thumb you should be searching for gems in the same weight class, say 2-3 carat and then, more importantly, look at the dimensions of the face. Consider width and length. They are most important since they determine the visible face. A pair with too much deviation in the visible part is no good for jewelry.
How much deviation is too much? This is better looked at in relative, rather than in absolute terms. One millimeter difference on a 20mm pear shape might be acceptable but a catastrophe on a 4mm round gem. Barring exceptions we allow pairs to have max. 5% deviation from each other.
The third dimension, depth, is less relevant for your choice assuming that the face is similar and that there are no bad windows. Depth however is the main parameter for weight. Hence, you may find gemstone pairs with equal face dimensions but very different carat weight. Yet, they can be perfect twins for jewelry if the cut is good enough to cover up missing depth, which leads us to the next point:
Cut: Choosing two different cuts or even shapes, say a trillion and a square in a pair is quite exotic; and it is done rarely (but could be charming).
Generally, however, people want near identical cuts. Ideally a pair has been cut to match. It was thus faceted by the same cutter from the same rough material. With "same mine run & same cutter" one has a good chance of getting two gems with a similar character to begin with.
The more important luster is for a gemstone, the more emphasis will rest on identical cuts. A pair of white diamonds for example needs to be machine cut to be 100% equal (which they mostly are in calibrated sizes). In a less lustrous gem, say a midnight blue sapphire or a brown tourmaline, the details of each facet will not be so influential.
As mentioned before, differences in depth can be covered by a clever cutter but this has limits. Too little depth results in windows and there is no way out. If both gems show similar windows that might be OK, but it is very disharmonic to have one fish-eye and one full body sparkler displayed together.
Color: As always in this trade color beats them all. Ruby, tsavorite or sapphires are primarily bought for their magnificent colors and only secondarily for their luster. Some gems like
However, most gems are color-first animals.
Tone: Differences in tone are easier to stomach than differences in color composition (mix of 1st, 2nd and 3rd color). This is true especially in darker varieties. (Remember: Tone is the amount of black/white not the saturation). A deep blue sapphire of medium dark 75 will easily fit with a medium dark 80. But be careful with e.g. light yellow or green. There, even small differences in tone will be very visible.
Remark: We would rather suggest using pairs of completely different colors for jewelry than allow different hues in one color. Using two unconnected colors however is quite exotic and we do it only on request. (How about a neon red spinel set with two chrome green tourmalines for example?)
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Remark: Hence, matching pairs are even rarer in natural gems because they lack the uniformity of treatment. Heat or diffusion brings out similar colors in similar rough. The result is a more consistent color mix. Matched unheated ruby or sapphires are therefore a difficult hunt. In fact, this is one reason for the spread of treated gems: Making a necklace with 50 matching sapphires is only possible on a high budget or with high heat. Similarly the industrial production of 5,000 rings with a similar colored blue gem demands controlled artificial coloring.
Clarity: A matching pair should be on the same clarity level. One may accept a "free of inclusions" next to a "very slightly included", meaning both are clean to the eye, but anything that is visible in jewelry should at least be visible in both gems. If a pair comes from the same mine-run, one can actually find beauty in combining identical types of visible inclusions: individual, charming and easy on the budget (think rutilated topaz in a pair).
To summarize:
- Width and length determine the visual similarity of a pair not the weight
- Better two windows than one
- The more important luster is, the more important are identical cuts
- Same-mine-same-cutter pairs are best to start with
- Differences in tone are sometimes tolerable but differences in saturation are no-no
- If inclusions are tolerated they must be visible in both stones
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Ruby on Photo
To judge ruby on photo I dare to separate them in two main characters:
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The Mild
Dense red glow with introverted, rich and earthy colors
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With this short-cut, we will be able to extract some basic rules for an otherwise unmanageable multitude of ruby varieties.
The Mild
Such a ruby can vary from fire engine (red-red) to rose red (add some purple) to an earthy crimson red (add some brown). Highest prices are paid for fire engine red, with rose red and then crimson following. Brownish brick red rubies shall be rather reasonable.
Pictures: Three famous ruby colors in mild hues
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| Traffic Light | Rose Red | Crimson |
We avoid the term "pigeon blood" because its abuse has rendered it meaningless (except when a rare GRS report allows it).
Rule 1: Insist on at least one image with light in the back.
Mild colored ruby will easily hide inclusions from the camera. Make sure the image does not only focus on the surface of the stone. A mild ruby needs an image with light falling in from the back of the gem. This will show you inclusions with all honesty.
Pictures: Mild colored rubies in front of daylight
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Many images on the web are "front-loaded". They show only the surface of the gem but not the inside. This is done to peddle translucent, or even opaque, cabochon quality as facet grade ruby.
Rule 2: Mild colored ruby needs clarity.
Heavily included ruby in mild colors looks dull in person. The value of such cabochon quality corundum is low in comparison to transparent ruby (unless it displays a star ruby of course).
The scarcity of good material has somewhat lowered the bar to what is labeled as facet-quality ruby. A translucent or opaque mild ruby might look OK on the photo, but the stone will be boring in person and have zero luster. No good.
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Ruby is by nature more included than, say, tourmaline. You will only get a "free of inclusion" if you have very deep pockets. However, some inclusions are wanted, while others are to be avoided.
Picture: Burmese Ruby with rare "Free of Inclusions"
Finest silky needle structures are delightful, shattering light rays into a hypnotic gleam. Thicker needles are interesting under the lens and do little harm to beauty.
Less attractive, and hence price reducing, are whitish clouds, visible black spots, growth lines with weak color zones or broken crystals.
Rule 3: See inclusions but imagine glow and luster.
While mild ruby will swallow its inclusions, it will also hide its luster and no high-end camera can change that. However, even the worst cut ruby has luster as long as it is clean. Unfortunately, it is often impossible to capture this on photo.
Hence, in mild ruby photos, you need to be picky with inclusions but may be generous with luster and radiance.
A pleasant mild ruby will never disappoint as long as it is clean.
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THE WILD
Often described as "neon", "vivid" or "electric", these rubies may have a good deal of purple, pink and violet in them, yet their main feature is a radiant, almost aggressive red.
Picture: Mogok ruby in sunlight
Such a ruby will always catch your attention. It will stand out, even in a shop window loaded with other gemstones. They are the masters of the red universe. No other material (man-made or natural) can beat them. Some flowers come close, but of course they lack fire and glow.
Rule 1: The three most important qualities of a wild ruby are color, color and color.
Ferociously red rubies are found in
Wild Burmese rubies have been worshipped for millennia. They are the fame of
Others have shed many words to describe high-end rubies, so I won't try any longer. Nothing beats the eye-to-lens sensation of a buster neon ruby, but a good image will get your appetite started.
Rule 2: Best wild rubies separate violet and purple from red
The magic of ruby comes from the ruby-only ability to mingle blue/violet into red and then set it aflame in radiation. Some pink and purple sapphires can do the same trick (see below) but red spinel never does.
In straight sunlight many good wild rubies will show themselves more like a blob of red gleam. Though this is a sign for a good gem, it is not enough. With light intensity reduced to a manageable amount, blue/violet and purple will separate from the red. This might look like color-zones, but it is exactly what you want: A digital separation of blue/violet from red (with purple and pink in-between) is the best indicator for intense red ruby.
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Picture: A strong color can make up for a "Moderately Included"
For wild rubies inclusions are only a secondary concern. Color is king. A neon ruby can easily be moderately included without looking dull. Even in translucent material a neon red is still very attractive and many budgets will be limited to more or less included material. Translucent rubies are OK as long as the color is extra terrific and the price right.
Rule 3: A fine wild ruby never holds still on an image.
Something always seems to be moving in them. Often it looks as if a flickering fire or a hot swirling fluid is caught in the gem. As if there is something alive in them - now, if that is not wild!
Pictures: Best rubies have "inner life" and split purpel/violet from red
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| Namya | Mogok | Ceylon |
Rule 4: Beware of digital enhancement
Since color is half the rent, some are tempted to "improve" their pictures for the web. Avoid "super bargains", plastic-like hues, and check the photos background: It shall be neutral and real (the gem should not be "cut-and-pasted" into a new background). Light conditions shall be normal (mixed light, filtered sunlight). Tungsten light alone is not enough. Ask for images in different light settings and angles. One can't easily repeat a faked or stolen photo in variations.
Pictures: Common digital tricks in ruby images
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| "Front-loaded" image hides inclusions; Pinkish background indicates digital color enhancement | Extreme (artificial) hue for $199/carat too good to be true |
Sapphire vs Ruby
Regularly discussed is the line between pink/purple sapphire and ruby. Yes, pink is a pale red but only what is independently certified as ruby can be sold as ruby. All else is wishful thinking of the seller. Period.
You may trust a third party laboratory to draw the line between red and pink. They are professionals, have no stake in the classification and will not risk their jobs for favors.
Rich purple or hot pink sapphires can be as extra terrestrially glowing as ruby. Here
Pictures: Pink/purple sapphires with ruby qualities but sapphire prices
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| Rich Hot Pink | Electric Pink | Intense Hot Pink | ||
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| Electric Pinkish Purple | Rich Reddish Purple | Rich Pinkish Purple | ||
SUMMARY:
The Mild
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Translucent or opaque rubies in mild colors are dull in person
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See an "inside" image with light falling in from the back
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Avoid brownish brick tones unless the price is appropriate
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A pleasant color in a clean ruby will always have glow and luster, even if the photo doesn't show it
The Wild
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Highly visible in any light and exploding with color in sunlight
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Color is king, even included material has its price
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Camera separates purple, pink, blue/violet from red: Very Good
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Camera shows a fuzzy ("living") inner structure: Very Good
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Be wary of digital photo tricks or stolen images
Titanite: The master of fire
We define Titanite as sphene from
Sphenes from other origins (Africa, Russia and others) are mainly green with some yellow. Vanadium Sphene is the green master of all sparklers but a rare find.
With dispersion higher than that of diamond and a rainbow of colors, Titanites are a must-see for anybody who loves fiery gemstones. Especially in candle light they are gemstone mystic pure. Even a half carat will turn heads.
Titanites are not as tough as diamond or sapphire hence they can't be worn while free-climbing.
However, there is zero risk of scratching them in earrings at a dinner party (not unless your date is Hannibal Lecter).
We have set quite a few Titanites in protective rings and pendants and they all stand their ground in daily use:
Titanite on photo:
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Though they do display many colors Titanites may have different characters. These may range from an earthy green or hay yellow to a lively red ocher and many other combinations. This is sometimes hard to transfer on photo, so pay attention to the seller's description. If our grading reads "orange/green/red/yellow" then orange is the most dominant colors followed by green, red and so on.
Given their affordability and the spectacle they offer, Titanites are a simply terrific deal.
Unfortunately our contact to the Pakistani mine (build up in the relative calm of 2007) has defaulted so we are not able to predict future availability or prices at this time (07/08).
Spinels come in a vast variety of colors, but are not as confusing as the garnet family. The most famous colors in spinel are blue and red, but one will find fine purple, violet, orange, pink, mauve, or black spinel. They also come with stars and color changes but have not yet gained much attention. What dignifies all spinel is their excellent luster and durability for jewelry.
The king amongst blue spinel is a rare variety colored not by iron but by cobalt. These cobalt spinels are found only occasionally in
In the red hues, ruby-like colored spinel has sky rocketed in price and popularity, directly followed by hot pink and padparadscha colors.
It appears that in recent years spinel has made it from a sometimes hardly distinguishable, sapphire-substitute to a variety standing on its own. Thus they do not come cheap anymore. Even our remotest miners have started to distinguish spinel as better than other 'non-sapphire-gems' and thus have started to ask much higher prices. However, they are still a comparatively reasonable alternative to ruby or blue sapphire. The less known varieties of spinel (purple, mauve, etc.) offer not only superb visual experiences but are most likely also a good investments in the long run.
Spinel on photo:
As one can see above: No problem! Like sapphire spinel are quite photogenic. They do not deceive in color or luster and are a grateful object for exquisite images. As all gems they are sensitive with inclusions in the lighter tones only.
See: Blue Spinel, Red Spinel; Pink Spinel; Purple Spinel; Orange Spinel.
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Danburite: Poor photo show but great IRL Danburites do not compute well on photos. They are unforgiving with inclusions, tend to catch even the faintest background color, display windows merciless and are a generally ungrateful lot on photo. |
A Danburite that looks good on an un-doctored photo is probably a beauty in person. If you have a good eye you may make a snatch with a photo-shy Danburite that will be much nicer in person.
This said, Danburite has a relatively low refractive index and will not easily sparkle as much as you would wish in a colorless gem. Optimized for brilliancy they will shine but not disperse light as diamond or, to some extend, white sapphire do.
With not much color and little luster to show, Danburites rely on good cutting. Big and clean Danburites from South-America have been a recent boon for precision cutters worldwide.
So far we have not heard of any treatment in Danburite. If they come treated they will probably be diffused into some unnaturally intense color and easy to spot.
Colored danburite, yellow, brown, green, are a collector rarity and come mostly from Burma.
See our Danburites.
Green grossular garnets (of which Tsavorite is the more famous) truly are a "new" gem since their discovery has been quite recently (in geological time frames). Tsavorite are the most expensive garnets in the market (besides Russian demantoid perhaps).
They are found mostly in small sizes. A three carat Tsavorite is considered a giant. Most found are below one carat but even the smallest Tsavorite is far from humble. Brighter, mint green, tsavorites are also called 'merelani garnets', from the mining area Merelani.
The very best are shocking green and size doesn't matter. They are like a volcano of extraterrestrial green, and if you want a modest gemstone green garnets are probably not right for you.
They do have good luster too, but color is most important. Like in emerald, inclusions are no killer-criteria as long as the color is not affected. Hence a colorless inclusion may be tolerable but we wouldn't want brown zircon crystals.
Tsavorite on photo: Difficult but GREEN
They tend to look darker than they actually are, and often black-out. This may be a result of their unique dense hue. It is possible to throw so much photo-technology and light at them that they loose all blackout but then they also loose their individual character and start too look all alike.
This said one might distinguish between an intense metallic green and a more alarm-color "venomous" green. The latter being a more earthy color one might expect in a poisonous coral fish and the former being without parallel in nature.
Given their availability in small sizes and their intense color Tsavorite are ideal for small but visible studs or as side-stones to contrast an intense center stone.
See our green garnets.
Pyrope Garnet:
Pyrope is typically described as blood or wine-red, while his name refers to the Greek word for "fire".
Though pyrope does not have what one calls "fire" in a diamond it is definitely as red as it gets and reminds of glowing coal. How red is that?
In case you are familiar with Spanish wine you might have a look at a Senior de Los Lamos '67, which will cost you much more than buying a pyrope, but tastes better (pyrope does not). You might also take blood samples from your neighbor's ox, but that too might not be a particular practical. It is said that once upon a time pyrope has been more popular and much higher priced. Today pyrope is, behind the almandine, the best deal if one wants a red-red gem of significant size without selling his family.
Pyrope on photo: Pyrope typically shows blackish areas and little luster on photos. Their color gets across well, but they usually tend to show more orange or brown than they actually have. Darker pyropes simply refuse to be photographed yet look good in person. They are a fine color-bargain to hunt for.
See our pyropes.
Hessonite:
Hessonite is always clearly distinguishable: See a hessonite through a lens and he will appear to be melting inside, while you can not see anything special without the lens.
Melting?
Some gemologists call it a "treacly" or 'swirly' appearance, which comes from inclusions that actually look like a petrified fluid. Hessonite is a wonderful stone in all yellow-orange to brown-red hues. Though not in line with the standard scientific gemology literature, I find hessonite in all red garnet colors from a fiery orange to alomost a simply traffic light red. In any event they make exquisite colored gemstones and are a true miracle when seen under the lens.
Hessonite on photo: Though hessonite is wonderful to look at they struggle with serious problems in front of the camera. Unfortunately 'treacly' transfers on a photo to 'fuzzy'. One needs to experience a hessonite live to be able to capture the information hidden in a photo. As a rule, concentrate on the color and blend out the fuzziness of the photo. If you like the color you will have to test the luster in person.
See our hessonites.
Almandine is the most common garnet variety in
Almandine on photo: The needle structure in almandine tends to look a bit fizzy on photos. Nevertheless almandines are a pleasure to shot - they glimmer and sparkle in fine red tones and transfer well on images. Like pyrope, almandine color usually does not vary much between with day or tungsten light. Also like pyrope they tend to show black-out areas which are not as dark as they seem in reality.
See our almandines.
Rhodolite & raspberry:
Rhodolite and raspberry are red garnet with strong pink and/or purple hue. Both are characterized by their color and one will find different definitions over time and literature. However, if almandine and pyrope are wine & blood, raspberry and rhodolite are berry & flowers. They are mixtures of pyrope and almandine in different relations.
They are the best deal in town for progressive color adventures. Both have excellent luster and a "juicy" color play that often mocks any description in plain words. Truly appetizing colors: Grading them sometimes makes me want to rush to the market to see whether I can find some berries.
Rhodolite and raspberry on photos: Both stones can be miraculous and nerve-wrecking in front of the camera. They are the chameleons amongst gemstones. We have seen many furious discussions between photographer and grader about what is the "real" color.
Truth seems to be that there is no truth. But that doesn't matter much because these stones always excel their photos. Other than e.g. with sapphire one can not make a photo too good when in comes to a raspberry and rhodolite.
See our rhodolite/raspberry garnets.
Color change garnet:
Color changing garnets are an exquisite rarity (and I mean rarity) in
On the other side, one must ask why shall a beautifully changing garnet have only 10% of the value of a dully changing pale alexandrite? That of course is a complex question of market mechanism. If one simply admires the magic of color change he might forget alexandrite (and sapphire) and hunt the last color change garnets before the deposits are depleted.
African garnets have produced blue-green to purple, blue to red and yellow to green color changes. Fantastic!
Color-Change on Photo: Catching color change on photos is one of the trickiest tasks in gemstone photography. This counts not only for garnet, but also for all color changers. It is so tricky, that I can only warn of too good looking but cheap color changers.
A color change that is fully visible on photo without photoshoptricks is truly rare and will never be cheap (at least not in natural stones). Buying two carat 100% color changer on EBay for two dollar is like ordering a Mercedes Maybach for the price of a bicycle. No complaints about dishonest sellers please!
See our color change garnets.
Zircon: The underestimated victim.
Zircon has suffered much bad PR due to synthetic stones with the trade name "Cubic Zirconia". In addition to this the use of zircon as a cheap diamond rip-off has led many people to believe that zircon is synthetic, or some kind of fake.
It is not! Zircon is a wonderful gemstone variety that has much more to offer than all the treated gemstones in uniformed colors roaming the jewelry market.
Zircon is amongst the most brilliant of all colored gemstone (only thus he was misused as an imitation for diamonds). His brilliance and luster is unbeatable and his high birefringence is terrific. Naturally colored zircon can be (expensive) green, yellow, brown, (mostly treated) blue, (costly) red and always (treated) colorless.
In any color zircons show a stunning fire and magnificent luster. Mostly very clean and found in good sizes zircon is a yet little known opportunity for novice collectors and experimental jewelry makers. They offer adorable colors and excellent luster for every budget. A light yellow zircon is nearly as fascinating as a fancy diamond.
Zircon on photo: As a rule, zircons are even better than their images. The birefringence of zircon is so strong that he is difficult to photograph clearly. The lines and edges on the back may seem blurred (double refracted) or 'un-sharp' but that is a good sign meaning more fire and brilliancy in person. In fact, they are often so brilliant that they seem to simply mirror light on the image. The strong luster of zircon is rather hindering for the color show and when it comes to zircons, one shall rather trust the seller than the photo.
(This can be said as a general rule: Don't buy gems based on photos but on the reputation of the seller and with the security of his return policy. It is not a pleasant shopping experience if you get a bad stone with a super photo that can't be returned.)
See our zircons.
Aquamarine: The elf stone.
Unfortunately, we do not get many aquamarines in
Fine aquamarines come from Africa and also Brazil. Neon pool blue-green! Must see, and also cat's eye aquamarines.
Aquamarine on photo: Light colored stones are notoriously difficult to capture. Especially in stones of good luster the light thrown back out of the stones tends to override the stone's color. Hence even if an aquamarine has a solid clearly visible blue hue he might in the photo show to be nearly colorless. Light colors also take inclusions much more serious on the photo than in reality. Again, trust the seller not the photo.
See our aquamarines.
Amethyst: The color queen (or king?).
Amethyst is very popular purple-violet quartz. It is available in fine colors and good sizes but does not demand high prices. A lot of amethyst is burned into citrine but the original stone is much more attractive. In fact, seen in color/price relation amethyst might compete with purple garnets.
The deep purple cross-over to violet is just delicious. Amethyst is probably the only gemstone variety one can collect buying only the best "excellent" stones on a moderate price. Rough amethyst is big and leaves space for precision cuts.
Amethyst on photo: No problem. Amethyst is grateful in front of the camera and makes easy realistic shots.
See our amethyst.
Tourmaline: Something for everybody!
Tourmaline is the most versatile gemstone family. Not only do they show themselves in all colors from brown to pink, but they are also famous for bi- tri- and multicolored varieties, and rare color changers.
In
Turning a bi- or tri-colored tourmaline in the sun and watching his playfully change between reddish brown, yellowish green and mellow orange is most delightful!
Chrome tourmaline competes with fine emerald and tsavorites. Paraiba tourmalines are copper colored and amongst the most expensive gems on earth.
Pure green tourmaline is a very thankful alternative to emerald and is thus often cut in baguettes and emerald shape. Tourmaline comes in good sizes, is clean and often used as healing stone. We predict that tourmaline will gain more fame after the recent run for flashy colors has settled.
Tourmaline on photo: Mono-colored tourmaline does not cause any problems in front of the camera. His color comes out realistic and they are not too light sensitive. Multicolored stones (showing different colors in different zones) are also no challenge. But things get more difficult when it comes to bi- or tri-colored stones. Sometimes it is possible to capture all colors in one angle. But more frequently the photographer gets sore fingers and a heart attack before he leaves it to the grader to describe the color play in words.
See our green, golden/yellow, chrome, pink/purple, blue and multicolor tourmalines.
Topaz: Much better than their image
Natural untreated topaz in full colors are rarely available, and a lot of consumers buy all kinds of cheap synthetics, citrine or treated and irradiated stones under the name "so-and-so-topaz".
This has led to much confusion and a devaluation of the original untreated topaz. However, naturally colored topaz is an exquisite rarity and a true collector's item. Colorless topaz (which is often taken to be radiated into blue) is a reasonable alternative to white sapphire and a good place to start a collection.
Big white tourmalines are great material for precision cuts and most attractive.
The light blue stones we find in
Yellow, golden (the "imperial" topaz) or pinkish topaz come from Brazil and must be tested for treatments.
Topaz on photo: Bright naturally colored topaz is notoriously difficult for the camera. Topaz with their light colors outshine themselves and (like aquamarine) tend to look colorless even if the eye clearly captures a nice if tender color. In any case an untreated light blue topaz is a terrific stone with a dazzling luster surpassing many much higher priced stones. Fully colored topaz on photo is either heavily treated or heavily photo-shopped. If not, it will cost a good deal.
See our topaz.
Chrysoberyl: Not only alexandrite.
Chrysoberyl is yet another continent to discover. The famous color changing alexandrite is a sub-variety of chrysoberyl. Normal
Vanadium Chrysoberyl is a rare specialty even amongst collectors, found in colors from mint to neon green.
The fabulous chrysoberyl cat's eye is another miracle in the world of gemstones. Fine parallel needles throughout the stone break light in a way that the stone displays a ray moving across the stone. While garnets, quartz and other varieties might show the same effect, only chrysoberyl is correctly referred to as the cat's eye. Basic parameters to judge the ray is his definition (full and clear?), position (centered?) and his movement (flawless?) across the stone. See our section on stars for more details.
Chrysoberyl on photo: While faceted chrysoberyl is easy to capture, a cat's eye needs a strong single light source to display the ray. This is difficult without changing the color of the stone in the yellow tungsten light. Therefore when buying cat's eye on the web, one should also pay attention to the 'official' color description and grading.
See our chrysoberyl and alexandrite.
Kornerupine: Exciting new green.
Kornerupine is a fine new opportunity for the collector of natural colors. Until recently quasi non-existent in the gem market, kornerupine has now found attention as a nice untreated gemstone in very unique hues: From mellow green mingled with yellowish and brown tints to forest green.
Depending on the cut some stones show different colors from different angels but they are not as unpredictable as tourmaline (with which they are often confused). Though kornerupine has entered the gem market only recently, we have so far always received positive feed back from those who ventured to buy this unknown variety.
Kornerupine on photo: Similar to other green stones kornerupine likes to be photographed and does neither show too good nor too bad. When it comes to his pleochroic effects, things get more difficult but since we usually try and cut him into one color, this has not been of much trouble to us.
See our kornerupine.
Diopside: No chemical but a gemstone.
Though soft, diopside has raised some attention from jewelry makers for his strong but reasonable priced green hues. Chrome diopside has actually become quite famous and expensive for his emerald green.
However it is soft and has to be protected in jewelry. In
Diopside on photo: Due to his strong birefringence diopside tends to come out slightly fuzzy and light green hues present inclusions stronger that the lens shows them.
See our diopside.
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Both websites will easily bring you into the world of gems, the first one from the view of a gemologist, the latter more from the position of the trade. To join the growing number of gem collectors on the internet we recommend: Additional descriptions, stories and know-how in each variety's shop. |
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