Whether you consider rubies an ominous stone, suited to witches and sorcery, or if you think of luxury, sophistication, and splendour when considering the stone – everyone has at one point coveted it. Purchased anonymously during a 2015 auction in Geneva, the final listing price for the Sunrise ruby was a staggering $30.42 million. Color-Change Sapphire. Saturation: Color saturation refers to how intense the hue of the stone is. In fact, the descriptive trade term might represent only a small, yet highly desired percentage of stones from that source. The following are … This is one of the big advantages of buying antique and vintage jewellery; no further demand is placed on the industry as a result. The most valuable rubies have a medium red to medium dark red tone which is also known as “pigeon blood” red. Sapphires over 5 carats, clean and with good blue color, are similarly rare and also valuable. The mixture of these untreated and heat-treated rubies show a range of darker and brighter red colors. The per-carat price of ruby can also increase dramatically as size increases, especially for better-quality stones. Colors range from pink red ruby to a vivid pigeon blood red that is regarded as the finest color for ruby. For top-color ruby that’s also free of eye-visible inclusions, the price rises even more. By closing this banner or using this site you agree to our revised Privacy Notice, Terms of Service and Cookie Policy. The primary color is red, and the secondary color is usually orange, purple or pink. The most valuable color of ruby is familiarly called, “pigeon blood red.” It is not the most glamorous name, but the color is one of the most heart stopping colors found in the gemstone world. Since the ruby was only 8.62 carats, its sale price was only $2,200 shy of the new per-carat record… Naturally, there is something of a value system for all precious gemstones. Relatively speaking, there is an abundance of good quality small sapphires but not rubies. This gem – if cut into a processed stone – could result in a stone weighing in at 300 carats. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "afd6d70d89fcfef53199f43d9db01c21" );document.getElementById("ab89ea9f11").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); 35b St Georges Terrace,Jesmond, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE,NE2 2SU,United Kingdom 15.99ct Burmese Ruby Ring by Verdura. they are not so dark as to appear almost black. However, a highly valuable, expensive ruby would be opaque, with high saturation, a red hue, and a tone that creates a rich, but very obviously red colour. The Liberty Bell Ruby. The first one is that according to color science, purple will bring out the red color … An illustration of how color affects the value of ruby. Bethany spends her days writing content for the AC Silver blog and other luxury goods/antique blogs. Your ruby could be a pidgeon blood ruby, the rarest kind. With coloured gemstones, the colour is the most important factor in determining their worth. Combining Pearls and Yellow Gold – The Top Jewellery Trends for Winter 2020, The Most Popular Earring Styles According to Instagram. Obvious inclusions, or inclusions that reduce transparency or brightness, lower a ruby’s value dramatically. The items featured on this blog, for example, all have Burmese rubies. Lighter shades are classified as pink sapphires. The finest ruby has a pure, vibrant red to slightly purplish red color. Value: $ 71.2 million dollars. The ruby, orignated from Mogok in Myanmar, Burma. Let that sink in for a moment. Color is the most significant factor affecting a ruby’s value. It is also known as the Jubilee Ruby. Red ruby. Much darker red or lighter pinker shades are considerably less valuable. Ruby is distinguished for its bright red color, being the most famed and fabled red gemstone. Needles might be short or long and slender, and they might appear to be woven tightly together. These rubies are the most prized and valuable of all rubies. Pidgeon blood rubies contain spots of blue or purple in them, making your find incredibly valuable. The name ruby comes from the Latin "Rubrum," meaning red. The hue of a ruby is what most people would describe as its colour, i.e. The quality of a ruby is determined by its color, cut, and clarity, which, along with carat weight, affect its value. The most valuable blue sapphires have a slight violet or purple hue to them, this deepens the blue color. Color is the most significant factor affecting a ruby’s value. The more the ruby’s color is strictly red, the more valuable it is. Andrew sold these items at various London markets and antique fairs. Some inclusions can actually contribute positively to a gem’s appearance. Some gem dealers debate the borderline between ruby and pink sapphire. We have several items that feature Burmese rubies, such as antique ruby rings and more. At the other extreme, if the color is too light, the stone may be considered to be a pink sapphire, even if color strength or intensity is high. Even so, it’s not always possible to orient a ruby for ideal color return because the potential loss of weight would be too great. Although, don’t be mistaken, it still knows how to make an impression. Well there are two explanations for this. Significant surface-reaching fractures can pose durability threats. The ruby, along with the sapphire, is in the corundum group. But these shapes are rare in larger sizes and higher qualities. Prized for their beauty, durability, and rarity, it is the quality of the color which most determines the value of rubies. It’s still possible that lower-temperature heat treatment might have occurred. Typical ruby clarity characteristics include thin mineral inclusions called needles. Mined in… It’s all about colour. This example weighs 950 carats and also exists in its raw form, not having been processed into gems. Even the most sought after blood-red rubies have a blue hue to them and are called “Pigeon’s Blood Ruby” or “Burmese Ruby.” The precious categorization was a reference to value: a really fine ruby, emerald, or sapphire can be priced higher per-carat than a diamond, which most people consider the ultimate gemstone. Burma Ruby is the rarest and most valuable member of the corundum family. They are all beautiful, but why are some more expensive than others? – Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. They might fashion flattened ruby rough into shallow stones, even though light escapes through flattened pavilions, causing an unattractive see-through area in the stone called a window. Ruby can command the highest prices of any colored gemstone. However, a highly valuable, expensive ruby would be opaque, with high saturation, a red hue, and a tone that creates a rich, but very obviously red colour. If the temptation of a Burmese ruby is too much to take, explore the ruby category of our website. The finest ruby has a pure, vibrant red to slightly purplish red color. Traditional descriptions like these are useful for evoking images and describing color among professionals. The darker and more visible colored rubies are the most sought after and the most expensive. Red Gems. Depending on a ruby’s color, the value of it can be from poor to premium. Long mineral inclusions that intersect can create the star effect when stones are cut as cabochons. Over time and years of experience trade terms can conjure up perceptions of certain colors and qualities that are associated with a stone’s source. The per-carat prices of fine-quality rubies have been rising consistently, many times breaking auction records. T: +44 (0) 191 240 2645 The most valuable ruby gemstones are a dark red known as blood red or pigeon blood. A very eye-catching and beautiful species of precious stones, they come in different colors starting from pink to a darker red. © 2002 - document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); Gemological Institute of America Inc. GIA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. An exotic type of sapphire also called the Color Changing Sapphire, displays different colors depending on … It set a record as the most expensive colored gemstone ever sold at a US jewelry auction. This color is often known as “pigeon’s blood” red and is very rare and highly valuable. Some rubies are more valuable than others – or at least more expensive. This is a rare variety of sapphire and it shows different colors under different light. April 2016 a 15.99ct oval-cut Burmese ruby ring, made by Verdura, sold for $14.16 million at Christie’s New York. The price per carat goes up significantly for ruby as it increases in size. 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