Considering Genuine Ruby Jewelry
They ruby might be less expensive than a diamond may be but ruby jewelry is still very expensive, especially when combined by high carat precious metals like gold or platinum. The type of setting is very important to the final price as is the type and grade of metal you will have for a base. Obviously an 18 carat gold mount will be more expensive than a 14 carat gold mount and platinum will cost more than any grade of gold. The most important factor in the price of genuine ruby jewelry however is the stone or stones used to create it.
The first thing to consider when buying ruby jewelry is the hue of the stone. This is the color and is usually the first thing that reaches out and grabs people. The most popular and most valuable come from Burma, the Mogkok Valley, and are a very deep red that collectors and gemologists call “pigeon blood”. You can also find varieties of rubies with different other colors like yellow or blue added as highlights.
The next most important is the depth of the color or color saturation. The perfect purchase would be to get an untreated ruby. These are very rare however and very expensive as most commercial rubies available are treated with a process call surface diffusion. Surface diffusion take a plain looking stone and heat it to intense temperatures to bring out the natural color of the stone and improve its saturation. If the stone has a light tone it will not be worth as much as a darker stone but, in the case of tones it is actually the medium toned rubies that are more valuable.
So before you go jewelry shopping for that special gift make sure you know exactly what kind mount, the color of ruby you want to use a the setting and how much you will spend. Having this information will save you a lot of time later on and probably save you a bundle of money in the bargain.
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