4 Things To Consider When Buying Rubies
When buying a ruby, either in the form of a loose gemstone or as part of a jewellery item
, there are certain factors you need to consider before making a decision to purchase or not. The chances are that you will be spending a fair amount of money, so it is imperative you make a decision based on some key factors, which we will discuss in todays article.
The factors when evaluating whether or not to buy a ruby are based on what are typically refereed to as the Four Cs: Clarity, Color, Cut and Carat. Now lets discuss each of these in turn.
Clarity
Experts in gemstones call the different characteristics inside a ruby Inclusions; these inclusions are used by experts to define the type and value of the ruby. Rubies with any marks or blemishes will be worth less in value than those that have no marks. A ruby of good quality will be clear and there will be very little if any inclusions.
The different types of inclusions include needles, cracks, twinning, halos and silk. Types of inclusions include scratches, pits, nicks and abrasions.
Color
Rubies are always red (if it is any other color it is referred to as a Sapphire) and the most highly valued rubies will be bright crimson red in color; Pinkish or purplish rubies, or rubies that are too dark will be worth less. Pigeon blood red rubies are the most expensive.
Cut
Perfectly cut rubies are nigh on impossible to find in the open marketplace, mainly because they are very rare or because the ones found naturally are often too wide or flat.
Rubies that have been well-cut will dazzle the human eye with their sparkle; their facets (flat faces on the ruby) have been cut at the right angles act as mirrors by bouncing light.
Signs of uneven facets on a ruby are usually signs of inaccurate cutting. Similarly, if the bottom of the ruby is not cut properly, you can see through the ruby this is normally referred to as fish-eye.
Lastly, if a ruby is dull and does not sparkle, it is a fair indication that it has not been cut well.
Carat
The carat of a ruby is often mentioned when talking about the size of the gem; it is a measure of the weight of different gemstones. The carat is usually denoted by the abbreviation ct, and one carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. Gemstones are measured to the nearest hundredth of a carat.
When buying a ruby, you will buy based on a per carat basis, therefore the more the carat of the ruby the more expensive it will be. In addition, as higher carat rubies are harder to find, there will be an additional premium to pay for them, as you are in effect paying for the rarity of the ruby.
The price per carat can range from around $1,000 to as high as $10,000 and is mainly dependent on the origin of the ruby. As such, rubies from Burma, Brazil, Kashmir and Sri Lanka are often the most expensive.
Summary
In summary, it is important to consider four main factors when buying the ruby of your dreams; evaluate each one in term weighting more heavily whichever feature is more important for you. Do this and you wont go far wrong in buying a top-class ruby gemstone.
by: thesidman
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