How to detect a true Ruby from other stones?

[Khamul]

Hi. I am a newbie member of these forums.
to be frank my real purpose of Registering here is that i am about buying a Ruby Ring (cause i wanna use it's magics, its a truly long story) and its very important to me. so i am in need of a real Ruby, not the ones made in chemical labs or, glasses mixed with ruby, etc. so how can i detect a real ruby from a fake one? Remember that i have no access to any advanced gemology tool in a shop! so give me methods as simple as you can.
very thankful if you could help me,
faithfully yours.

 

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[vpnavy]

I noticed this is your very first post - so, Welcome Aboard! You didn't list your state (or country) in your profile. So, you might consider jumping over to Sub-Forums: Select Your Area.... and selecting your state for information (i.e., clubs, hunts, finds, legends, maps, etc.) directly related to your state (or country).

Now - on the "ruby" question - I searched and found a few threads. Here is one of them: Real Ruby Test ? I think I stumbled upon a cheap way to see if a Ruby is real!?!?!

 

[DDancer]

A gemologist at a reputable jewelry store can tell you pretty quickly whether you have a real stone or a synthetic one. The link VP posted also notes another good way to check for natural ruby and that's the use of a UV light. Synthetic stones are treated so that they wont emit the natural fluorescent color of a natural stone.

BurntBear had a good thread on this : http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/rocks-gems/438561-ruby-uv-lighting.html

 

[khalid Hussain]

 

[DDancer]

And that is?

 

[AMorgan]

synthetic rubies will still fluoresce under UV light... The key to determining natural from synthetic is through high magnification and looking at inclusions... I am unsure on the glass filled ones...

 

[DDancer]

Yes synthetics will still fluoresce however additives are usually added to synthetics and this allows them to be separated from natural stones. Heat treated natural stones to also often have additives added as well and again this allows separation of natural and synthetic stones by a qualified gemologist. Use of high magnification is the easiest way to separate them, as you've stated, however this method has its limits as well dependent on the examiners familiarity with classification of stones.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Actually, the florescence is just an *indication* and can't be used for identification. Humans can use additives in a controlled manner in synthetic stones, but nature doesn't.
Besides most additives are for colouration of the material being made rather then for identification purposes.

High magnification is to me the only known proper way to separate natural from synthetics in the case of rubies.
But as DD said, that requires experience and being familiar with the material being examined.