Fat Rough Ruby Question

[Cappy Z.]

I have been inquiring about stone cutting services everywhere. i ideally would like to be close geographically in case there is a problem I could show up in person. However I did contact this one company in California. Everything seems legit except when I send the guy a photo of my Ruby Rough..he responds by saying it looks like a Spinel. Well, first of all it is a Ruby. It measures about one centimeter on each side. Yes, centimeter as in ten millimeters. Nice chunk of rough.

Anyway, I am now feeling leery about sending the stone and a few hundred dollars out west to have it cut. My gut feeling is shop somewhere else.

Here's the rough.

 

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[marinedad]

hi cappy, looks like ruby to me, even has 6 sides. i know of a few places in n.c. that i have had some stones cut, ruby, topaz,sapphire, rutiled quartz, all turned out nice. three different places all in spruce pine n.c.

 

[marinedad]

cappy, what part of the country, or world did it originate? have you done a hardness test?

 

[Cappy Z.]

cappy, what part of the country, or world did it originate? have you done a hardness test?

I believe it is a Mong Hsu ruby from Myanmar. But ones information is only as reliable as the seller.

Thanks for the feedback.

Here's a pic I favor. Rubies are like women....

 

[Merlyn555]

Hi Cappy, I'm no expert by any means, I've only been cutting stones now for about six months.

The stone you have is a nice size and really hard to find I know I just spend four months looking for some Ruby rough and only just found some the other day.

There are some things I can tell you about your stone even though the pic is not the best...

First off 50 years ago it would not have been considered a Ruby, it would have been called a Pink Sapphire. Rubies are traditionally deep blood red in color but with the scarceness of the product in the last few years they have relaxed their grading to include any corrundum stone that is of a deep pink to be now classified as a Ruby. To me this makes good sense since there is only a matter of hew depth between a Ruby and a Sapphire.

Your stone is obviously not heat treated or it would be deeper in color and not show the lighter areas quite so well. And by the same analysis it has not been glassed as the stone does not have that glassy shiny and very smooth appearance that is associated with stones treated in this manner.

The stones I have ordered are African Rubies that have been heat treated and glassed, I will post a pic when they arrive from Austrailia.

All in all you have a very nice stone there and should produce a very nice stone of about 2 carats or more depending on inclusions.

 

[Cappy Z.]

Merlyn555,

Thanks for feedback. It appears you are correct. Can't wait to see some of your work.


Cap Z