Short answer ruby and sapphire gems: Ruby and Sapphire are precious gemstones of the mineral corundum family. They are known for their durability, brilliance, and stunning range of colors. Rubies are typically red while Sapphires come in shades of blue, pink, yellow, green and other colors. They have been popular among royals and in jewelry making for centuries due to their beauty and rarity.
How to Identify Authentic Ruby and Sapphire Gems
Rubies and sapphires are two of the most precious gemstones in the world. The bright red hue of rubies is said to symbolize passion, love, and energy while the deep blue color of sapphires represents loyalty, wisdom, and truth. These gemstones have been revered for centuries and continue to be highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Unfortunately, there’s also a thriving market for fake rubies and sapphires – stones that might look similar but lack the authentic value of the real thing. As such, it’s important for jewelry buyers to be able to spot a genuine ruby or sapphire from an imposter.
Here are some tips on how to identify an authentic ruby or sapphire:
1. Check its color
Rubies typically display a deep red hue while sapphires come in shades ranging from deep blue to violet blue or greenish-blue. Avoid gems that exhibit too much brown, purple or gray coloring as these often indicate low-quality pieces.
2. Look at its clarity
Both rubies and sapphires can have natural inclusions—foreign materials like gas bubbles or minerals—that develop inside the gemstone over time. However, if you see obvious blemishes or hazy spots within the stone’s body that disrupt its transparency, then chances are high that it’s not authentic.
3. Assess cut & shape
Ruby/Sapphire’s original crystal has eight sides! If your stone looks smooth-rounded-four-sided like an inverted pyramid or six-sided rounder like a hexagon while breathing life through its radiance; congratulations! You may have found yourself an excellent gem with optimal reflection.
4. Carat weight
Although this should not be relied upon solely for judging authenticity but looking at their carat weight can somewhat differentiate them; Genuine rubies/sapphires usually come with larger sizes since they’re rare commodities mine below ground level.
5. Test its density
One of the most reliable ways of checking authenticity, without doubt, is using specific gravity measurements that will consider by comparing a gemstone’s weight against its displacement in water. For example, Genuine rubies and sapphires have similar weights with corundum bearing them hence contributing to their high density.
In conclusion, when assessing an authentic ruby or sapphire gem, you should focus on color, cut & shape together with carat weight while also evaluating blemishes & densities. With a little bit of practice and effort put towards learning proper methodologies involved in professional gem testing, you’ll be on your way towards becoming an expert at identifying genuine gems from imitations- even if they’re subtle differences – this could help safeguard your investment!
Step-by-Step Process of Cutting Ruby and Sapphire Gems
Gemstones have a special allure and beauty that has fascinated humanity for centuries. Each gemstone is unique, with its characteristic color, clarity and cut defining it. One of the most popular gemstones in the world is Ruby and Sapphire – known for their deep red tones to the serene blue hues respectively. The process of cutting these precious gems requires skill, technique, and patience.
Step 1: Assessing the Rough Stone
The first step to cutting rubies or sapphires is to assess the rough stone. A skilled artisan will carefully evaluate the rough material’s shape, size, internal features (like natural inclusions), and overall quality. These evaluations help determine what kind of cut would best showcase its color and texture.
Step 2: Planning
Once a plan for cutting has been derived through a thorough evaluation of each gemstone uniqueness in hand – precision planning phase begins. At this stage, several sketches are made digitally using CAD software or drawn by hand; ideally keeping in mind market trends, client demand as well as intrinsic properties like size weight etc.
Step 3: Shaping
After planning comes precise shaping where stones are manipulated on different types of grinding machines depending on their hardness level which is graded from 1-10 commonly knowns as Moh’s scale.
Ruby ranks at #9 – making it one of the hardest elements while Sapphire at #7 making it a bit easier but still equally challenging compared to other Gemstones like Emerald.
Therefore For Sapphires soft abrasive lap equipment is used at first such enables with coarse abrasives used first followed by finer ones – whereas Ruby may require diamond-coated laps to get started with initially larger diameters , Following up with smaller grit sizes.
One requires utmost finesse & precision throughout this stage because being too aggressive can cause unwanted scratches or even internal splitting leading to more waste pieces than intended.
Step 4: Pre-polishing & Faceting
Once the rough piece of material has been shaped according to the planned cut, the stone’s surface will be pre-polished with a series of even finer abrasive pads.
Next up, the actual cutting or faceting is done – starting with creating basic geometrical (square, rectangle etc) shapes using specialized machines which ensure exact measurements and angles on each facet in multiple levels while keeping symmetry in check.
Both Sapphire & Ruby demand twice as many facets than most other gemstones -even upto 100 or more sometimes- enhancing their brilliance & fire as much as possible.
Step 5: Final Polishing
The final step includes thoroughly cleaning and polishing the stone with finer abrasives that give it a luxurious shine like no other at different stages of increasing fineness from Yellow diamond powder all way down to CeO2 Polish. This last stage requires precision and skill making use of polish paste applied only a little at a time and extremely slowly distributed with precise angles creating tiny micro-cuttings adding sparkle to the range of color displays spreading across gems entire area.
In Conclusion – Cutting Ruby and Sapphire gems are not just about taking sharp blades, circles saws for sawing or grinding discs on lapidary systems, but perfect harmony of know-how, intuition possessing artistic instincts & cutting-edge technical expertise along with refined tools setup . Crafting these spectacular gemstones unveiling an arrayed showcase of unique color scapes filled within each swirl revealing gleaming depths attracts buyers globally!
FAQs About Ruby and Sapphire Gemstones: Answered
Ruby and Sapphire are two of the most sought-after gemstones in the world. They are highly valued for their beauty, rarity, and durability. While we may have heard a lot about these gems, many people still have questions about them.
To help you better understand Ruby and Sapphire, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions below:
What is Ruby?
Ruby is a precious red corundum stone that is highly prized for its deep red color. It belongs to the family of minerals called corundum and gets its intense ruby-red hue from traces of chromium within it.
What is Sapphire?
Sapphire is also a member of the corundum family but comes in many different colors – blue sapphire being one of the most recognizable. Sapphires can also be found in green, pink, orange or yellow hues.
How do I know if a Ruby/Sapphire is real or synthetic?
The easiest way to tell if your ruby or sapphire is natural or synthetic (lab-created) would be to take it to an expert gem appraiser. But here’s something you should keep in mind- The price can often tell a story too: Natural Rubies and Sapphires will almost always carry higher prices than lab-created versions
Is it true that heat treatment turns white sapphires into blue ones?
No.. Unfortunately no… Heating white sapphires will not turn them into natural blue sapphires with exellent clarity however heating certain naturally occurring typesof corundum does change their color; Yellow becomes orange as well as ,irridescence diminishing, translucent stones clear up partly sometimes leading feathers but others leading to clean looking stones; Greenish Blue becomes Deep Blue.. But those changes , although permanent are not reflected on pricing
.
Are Rubies always Red?
Traditionally rubies only come in a range that leans towards shades of red , however they actually can occur in a variety of shades including some that fall under the pinkish or yellowish hues.
Do Rubies and Sapphires scratch easily?
Ruby and sapphire are one of the hardest gemstones, scoring 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. This means that these gems are highly resistant to scratching with ordinary items. Even though diamonds score 10, sapphires and rubies are an excellent (and less expensive) substitute for engagement/wedding rings due to their Beauty Durability and Pricepoint.
Can I clean my Ruby/Sapphire jewelry with an ultrasonic cleaner?
Most reputable jewelers advise against it especially if your piece has been heat treated as part of its processing.. Highly heated stones have microscopic internal fractures which will render them prone to further “exploding internally” when subjected to strong lateral vibrations like ones generated by ultrasound cleaning… Gentle soap solution and water followed by soft brush is safer , more effective but still caution should be excercised.
How do I take proper care of my Ruby/Sapphire jewelry?
In order to give your jewelry pieces longevity , givin your jewelry deep-cleanse every now and then is a must.
A simple soak in lukewarm water mixed with some mild dish detergent followed up by brushing contaminants off with a typically soft toothbrush …thoroughly dousing it in running water afterwards; patting dry gently between towel sheets.
When you want more thorough cleanse, consult thoroughly written instructions specifically for gemstone cleansing before attempting to avoid unpleasant surprises in results; Always storing away from hard materials.. And finally having professional maintenance check on prongs walls settings etc whenever there Could be risk of damage will help ensure longitivity .
Top 5 Interesting Facts about Ruby and Sapphire Gems
Rubies and sapphires are two of the most precious and well-known gems in the world. Both of these gems have been revered for centuries due to their beauty, rarity, and symbolism. Not only do they look amazing in jewelry, but they are also rich in history and lore. Here are the top 5 interesting facts about ruby and sapphire gems that you never knew before.
1) Ruby is actually a red variety of corundum – a mineral composed of aluminum oxide – whereas blue sapphire gets its color from traces of iron and titanium in it. In fact, all other colors aside from red (ex: pink, yellow, green), which are variations of corundums are referred to as “sapphire”. On the other hand, true rubies can even vary in shades from pinkish-red to deep crimson hues.
2) Rubies come second in hardness only after diamonds with a score of 9 on Mohs Scale while sapphires rank third with a score slightly behind at 8-9. It means both these gemstones make excellent choices when durability is considered.
3) Speaking about size – among all non-diamond gemstones, Corundum (ruby & sapphire family) has average huge sizes found along with few exceptional ones including one over 20kgs! Generally speaking, larger qualities will increase more dramatically than smaller ones. This rarely happens that high quality large stones create auctions records too!
4) The ancient Persians believed that rubies were created by an intense flame within the Earth’s core that burned so hot it could melt rocks into molten droplets. Later people thought wearing ruby would protect them against any evil harm or danger as well as illnesses such as blood diseases or infections because water turns red assuming health issues caused because mother nature needs some distraction.
5) Sapphires have been prized for their beauty since Ancient Rome when they were used to make jewelry for the wealthy. However, they became even more famous when Princess Diana received one in her engagement ring from Prince Charles. The public interest was so great that sapphire engagement rings have been trending ever since!
In conclusion, rubies and sapphires are two of the most fascinating gems in the world. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they carry rich histories and cultural significance with them as well. From their origin stories to their unique properties – these precious stones continue to inspire awe and admiration today!
The History of Ruby and Sapphire Gemstones: From Ancient Times to Modern Day
The beauty and allure of ruby and sapphire gemstones are undeniable. Their deep, rich colors have captivated people for centuries, making them some of the most sought-after gems in the world. But what is the history behind these stunning stones? Where do they come from, and how have they been revered throughout time? In this blog post, we’ll explore the fascinating story of ruby and sapphire gemstones from ancient times to modern day.
The earliest known discovery of ruby dates back to ancient times in India. The Sanskrit word for ruby is “ratnaraj,” which translates to “king of precious stones.” Rubies were highly valued by Indian royalty as a symbol of power and wealth. It was believed that rubies had magical properties like warding off evil spirits and protecting their owners from harm.
In addition to India, rubies were also found in Southeast Asia, particularly Burma (now Myanmar). Burmese rubies were considered the finest quality due to their intense red color. The Mogok Valley in Burma became known as the “Valley of Rubies” due to its abundant supply of high-quality gems.
Like rubies, sapphires were also discovered in ancient India. They were actually often mistaken for rubies until it was realized that they came in a variety of colors, including blue, pink, yellow, green, purple and orange. Many cultures believed that sapphires had healing powers; they were used by Greeks and Romans as a remedy for eye problems.
Sapphires also held strong cultural significance among religions such as Judaism and Christianity throughout medieval Europe where it was believed that the earth’s core was made up entirely out of Sapphire giving religious weightage on this gemstone more than just ornamental value or beauty itself.
Throughout history trade routes played an important part in spreading these gems across borders each culture leaving their own mark on them through their use whether it be talismans, amulets or even Signet rings used to seal important documents. From ancient Egypt to medieval Europe and ultimately even in modern societies these gems have never lost their allure.
In modern times, rubies and sapphires are still highly prized gemstones. Their vibrant colors have inspired countless jewelry designs, from classic engagement rings to bold statement pieces. Today the finest quality rubies still come from Burma but they can also be found in Africa and parts of South America. Sapphires now originates from Madagascar, Australia, Thailand and other several locations around the globe.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the fascinating history of ruby and sapphire gemstones. Perhaps it will inspire you to get your own stunning piece of ruby or sapphire jewelry – a true investment that holds a rich legacy spanning centuries or simply appreciate them for all their beauty!
Caring for Your Precious Ruby and Sapphire Gemstones
Gemstones come in various shapes and sizes, but few catch the eye as gorgeously as rubies and sapphires. The allure of these stones is due to their brilliant colors, fascinating history, and high market value. However, owning such precious gemstones also requires a certain level of care and attention to keep them in excellent condition.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what it takes to care for your ruby and sapphire gemstones.
1. Clean Them Regularly
Regular cleaning helps maintain the shine and brilliance of your gemstone. To clean rubies and sapphires, start by soaking them in warm water with a mild detergent for about fifteen minutes. You can use a soft-bristled toothbrush or a cotton swab to clean any dirt or grime from the surface gently.
Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials like baking soda or toothpaste on gemstones as they may scratch the surface or cause discoloration.
2. Store Them Properly
Storing your precious gems correctly can help prevent damage caused by contact with other objects or exposure to environmental factors like heat, light, and moisture.
Investing in a safe storage space or box is crucial when it comes to safeguarding your valuable jewelry pieces from accidental bumps and knocks while you’re away. Ensure that each piece is stored separately so that they don’t rub against each other; this reduces the risk of chipping or scratching.
3. Keep Them Safe from Extreme Temperatures
Extreme temperatures can affect the structure of your ruby or sapphire stone negatively. It’s essential to avoid exposing them directly to heat sources such as direct sunlight for extended periods since it may cause fading of color over time due to ultraviolet radiation.
Sensitive areas such as beaches must be avoided whenever wearing your precious gemstones since salty seawater might corrode their surfaces leading eventually damaging them permanently.
4. Don’t Wear Them During Intense Extracurricular Activities
Although rubies and sapphires are precious, they’re still stones subject to chipping or fracturing when subjected to intense physical activities such as gym workouts, gardening or even handball. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid wearing them during activities that may expose them to rough surfaces.
It’s not uncommon for hard-earned money spent on a luxurious piece of jewelry like ruby or sapphire earrings, necklaces and bangles not utilized properly resulting in preventable damages.
5. Take Them for Regular Maintenance Checks
Lastly, getting your jewelry checked up regularly by professional jewelers will help you identify possible damage risks on time before they escalate into advanced stages. They’ll examine your gemstones for any wear and tear signs and offer the necessary preventive maintenance advice.
In conclusion, investing in precious gems such as rubies and sapphires demands proper care-giving attention from the owner. By following the tips mentioned above while making use of precautions such as regular check-ups with craft jewelry experts like Orocal Jewelers keeps these valuable pieces shiny forever!
Table with useful data:
| Gemstone | Color | Hardness (Mohs) | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | Red | 9 | Jewelry, industrial tools, lasers |
| Sapphire | Blue | 9 | Jewelry, industrial tools, electronics |
Information from an expert
As a gemstone expert, I can attest to the beauty and value of ruby and sapphire gems. These gems are part of the corundum family and are prized for their hardness, durability, and high refractive index that creates a brilliant sparkle in any light. Rubies are famous for their deep red color, while sapphires come in a range of hues including blue, pink, yellow, and green. Both gems have been used for centuries in jewelry-making and continue to be popular choices today due to their timeless elegance and rarity. Anyone looking for a precious gemstone investment or a stunning addition to their jewelry collection should consider ruby or sapphire gems.
Historical fact:
Rubies and sapphires have been highly valued gemstones throughout history, with references to their beauty dating back as far as ancient Greece and Rome. Kings and queens often had crowns and jewelry adorned with these precious gems, believing they symbolized power and wisdom. In medieval times, they were even used as a form of medicine – believed to cure everything from liver ailments to mental illness. Today, rubies and sapphires continue to be popular gemstones for engagement rings and other fine jewelry pieces.
