Diamond engagement sets are the most popular one among all women. Nevertheless, a bride who desires to walk away from the crowd could opt for a ruby engagement ring set too, just as Jessica Simpson did. Rubies are one of the most popular options among all of the gemstones and are valued very high. They are not only beautiful but are also hard and durable, which make them perfect for daily use.
The engagement rings made from ruby would really look phenomenal. However, shopping for a ruby can prove to be a bit difficult, as the gemstone is available in a number of varieties. In order to choose the stone that is perfect for you, you would have to have a good knowledge of the features of rubies. The following guide will help you in determining this and make an informed decision.
The Color
The most distinguishing characteristic of rubies is its color. Just like sapphire, ruby is also made up of the corundum material. The most interesting thing here is that all other colors of corundum are called sapphire other than red. Even though red is the primary color in ruby, it could also have other secondary colors including purple, pink, or orange. The purple and orange hues in the stone could make a significant decrease in the value of the stone. The ruby color that is most coveted is the pigeon blood red color. Yet it is very rare to find a stone with this color, as it does not have any other secondary hue in it.
The ruby colors are graded by the GIA based on their saturation, tone, and hue. Here, hue indicates the significant color of the stone; a good quality ruby would be having a red hue. At the same time, the intensity of color in the stone is denoted by the term saturation. The saturation is commonly graded in a scale that ranges from 1 to 6. If the saturation intensity is low the color would appear to be a grayish or brown color, on the other hand, if the intensity is high the stone would have vivid color.
Lastly, tone represents the lightness or darkness of the stone color. The stones that are colorless have a tone value of 0. The black colored stones have the highest tone value which equals to 10.
Note that in a superior quality ruby, the predominant color would be red. It would have a saturation value of 6 and a dark tone value of 6. When the stone is examined on a white paper, its color grade would be R 6/6. A ruby of this kind is valued and priced very high.
The Clarity
All gemstones occur naturally along with some inclusions. Anything from gas bubbles, traces of other minerals, or liquid could make inclusions in ruby. The inclusions may look in the form of lines or cracks in the stone.
The clarity of ruby is mostly affected by visible inclusions. If the ruby is eye clear or if its inclusions are located in hidden places of the stone, it may not have much impact on the beauty of the stone. It is very important to make sure that the stone does not have visible inclusions, as this would compromise the beauty of the stone. The price of the stone also rises higher as with the increase in clarity of the stone.
Most of the online ruby retailers do not provide a clarity grade for the stone. Hence, you should make sure that you purchase the stone from retailers who provide HD images and videos of the actual stone. This would help you in choosing the best stone from the list.
Even though inclusions are perceived as a dismissive factor in most of the gemstones, rubies have an exception here. At times, an inclusion referred to as asterism occurs in the stone. This would bring about a star like impression on the stone. The rubies with this inclusion should be cut with great care for in order to maximize the visibility of asterism.
Heat Treatment
All rubies are supposed to be heat treated as it is a common industrial technique to enhance the color of the gemstone. This does not decrease its value, but if the ruby comes along with a report saying that there is no evidence of heat treatment in it, that would really cost a fortune. It is also very rare to find such a stone.
Most of the time, heat-treating the stone also aims to remove any visible rutile from it. Rubies are commonly heat treated at temperatures as high as 1800°F, and this heat would have a great impact on the color of the stone making it look more vivid and lively.