Special Edition RUBIES
OCTOBER 2011
Gemology THE
indispensable for jewelry lovers World Gemstone Jewelry Unheated Ruby Stud Earrings in Sterling Silver Ruby, Passion of Corundum
RUBIES ARE FOREVER
Nature is Just perfect
CONTENT
Ruby qualities
5- Ruby. Gemstone Jewelry. Information on how to buy rubies 6- Gem tree. A gem tree is a small tree made of wire structure
8- Rings. Engagement rings, diamonds, and wedding bands
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10- Unheated Burmese Rubies. Genuine Natural & Unheated Rubies from Mogok, Burma. IGI-Certified.
FROM NATURE DIRECTLY TO YOUR FINGER
Ruby is a light pink to blood red gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). The colour is caused mainly by chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires. It is considered one of the four
V I S I T
9- World of Gems. A passionate study of the fascinating world of gem
Rubies have a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Among the natural gems only moissanite and diamond are harder, with diamond having a Mohs hardness of 10.0 and moissonite falling somewhere in between corundum (ruby) and diamond in hardness. Ruby is α-alumina (the most stable form of Al2O3) in which a small fraction of the aluminum3+ ions are replaced by chromium3+ ions. Each Cr3+ is surrounded octahedrally by six O2- ions. This crystallographic arrangement strongly affects each Cr3+, resulting in light absorption in the yellow-green region of the spectrum and thus in the red color of the gem.
From rough to perfect
F R E E B I E S :
7- Coolest Western Jewelry Online. You can buy the coolest western jewelry
Physical Properties Of Rubies
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4- Discover the charm of GEMSTONES Gemstones convert your negative energy to positive
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F R E E B I E S :
3- Ruby, Passion of Corundum. Ruby has been considered one of the most valuable gem
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D E S I G N
2- Ruby Stud Earrings | World Gemstone Jewelry. Unheated ruby stud earrings in sterling silver
Choosing to purchase a dazzling piece of jewelry in today’s technological world requires a leap of faith or a foolhardy spirit of a riverboat gamblers. Unless you or your jeweler has mastered the skills required determining imitation from synthetic and labcreated from genuine, one can’t begin to understand value factors. Choosing a professional jeweler is the most important decision you will ever make when considering purchasing fine jewelry, because most jewelers are not qualified Graduate Gemologists. Very few jewelers have the required formalized education to protect their customers. The vast majority of retailers would, in fact, fail a standard gemstone identification test. Every Graduate Gemologist from Gemological Institute of America MUST score 100% gemstone identification test in order to graduate. Understanding gemology is only the first step.
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1- Ruby. Gemstone Jewelry. Ruby Gemstone Information. Read about the difference
Exquisite Fine Jewelry
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RUBIES AND ITS PAST HISTORY
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Myanmar has long been known as the best source for rubies in the world, gemstones whose beauty is rivalled only by the emeralds produced by the mines of Colombia.
V I S I T F R E E B I E S : D E S I G N G R A P H I C M O R E F O R
Gemologists use these needle inclusions found in natural rubies to distinguish them from synthetics or substitutes. Usually the rough stone is heated before cutting.
Rubies have a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Among the natural gems only diamond is harder (Mohs 10.0 by definition).
Almost all rubies today are treated in some form (of which heat treatment is the most common practice), and rubies which are completely untreated and still of excellent quality command a large premium.
All natural rubies have imperfections in them, including colour impurities and inclusions of rutile needles known as “silk”.
Improvements used include colour alteration, improving transparency by dissolving rutile inclusions, healing of fractures.
Rubies were used in ceremonies and to adorn royal regalia, and the choicest items mined were reserved for the court. Some were sold to India and the
JEAN-BAPTISTE TAVERNIER
Middle East, but many of the finest rubies and other gemstones were dedicated to the Buddhist religion. Myanmar people follow Theravada Buddhism, which preaches the virtues of humility and living a simple life without ostentation. The gems were therefore not used for personal adornment but were encased in the htarpanar-taik, or relic chambers of pagodas and stupas. The search for these riches was one reason why more
than 1000 pagodas were desecrated and destroyed by British troops at the end of the Third Anglo-Burmese War. European traders first visited Myanmar around 1400 CE with the primary aim of engaging in the spice trade. But some early travellers – such as Nicola di Conti, Ludovico di Varthema, Hieronimo de Santo Stephano and Caesar Fredericke – reported on the profusion and quality of rubies and other gemstones worn
by Myanmar royalty, and this aroused the interest of the West.
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(Burmese) rubies is described as “pigeon’s blood”. They are known in the trade as “Mogok” rubies. In central Myanmar the area of Mong Hsu also produces rubies. The latest ruby deposit to be found in Myanmar is situated in Nam Ya.
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The Mogok Valley in Upper Myanmar has produced
some of the finest rubies but, in recent years very few good rubies have been found there. The unique colour in Myanmar
F R E E B I E S :
precious stones, together with the sapphire, the emerald and the diamond.
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During the Bagan (Pagan) Dynasty (1044 to 1287 CE) rubies were worn by Myanmar royalty. Some of the royal rubies were so valuable that a Chinese emperor is said to have offered a city in his own country in exchange for one of the prized gemstones.
The red aura of rubies makes them appear bigger than they really are. Rubies are the scarcest of all gemstones and command extremely high prices. Their average size is also generally less than any other gemstone’s. Today, rubies have numerous applications: as styluses in turntables, as tiny bearings in expensive wristwatches, and in rod form. (see p. 23) 5
R U B I E S a re g ir l s bes t
t h e l a p i d a ry
W W W . D E S I G N F R E E B I E S . O R G V I S I T F R E E B I E S : D E S I G N G R A P H I C
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F R E E B I E S :
The 4 C’s: These are the
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We have a lot of milky quartz, jaspers, and epidote close to where we live. I have cut all of these. They are not as spectacular as, say, a crazy lace agate or Bruno Jasper, but I love cutting them because I found them. Epidote is usually a very pretty green color. The jaspers we find are red and there is one that looks like Impression
There is a lot of good information already out there about all the various types of cutting rough. Much of it can be found right here on the Web. It is my intent to discuss two of my favorites. As you begin cutting your own cabochons, you will develop your own favorites. All easy and enjoy it!
Shopping for an engagement ring doesn’t have to be a dreaded experience. With the right amount of knowledge about what to look for in a ring, coupled with your excitement about asking the girl of your dreams to marry you, this can be an enjoyable
Setting: The setting refers to the piece that holds the gemstone in place, which is attached to the band. The setting can be “pronged” or “invisible”. [1] Some rings combine a platinum setting with a gold band for the special background color of gold and the contrast, lack of diamond-tinting, and strength of platinum. A setting with a bezel, or
The 5th C: Cost. A cubic zirconia can be beautiful and indistinguishable from a diamond only by a jeweler or other expert. It is softer than a real diamond so it may dull over the years. Lab Diamonds are another great alternative to traditional diamonds. cost 5-10% of what a traditional diamond would, and looking just a beautiful, they definitely deserve some research. A rhodium-plated silver ring can be indistinguishable (except for the identifying mark an honest seller should put on the inside) gold one.
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My husband and I love to take hikes in the high desert of Arizona, where we live. Just try to stop me from picking up rocks along the way. As we
walk, my belt bag gets heavier and heavier. It’s a good thing that as I drink my water, it gets lighter. Everything balances out.
When you decide to cut a cabochon, some consideration must be given to its final use. If you are cutting them for display in your own collection, for example, size, shape, durability, etc. are not so much of a concern. But if their ultimate destination is to be put into jewelry, then you must think about these things.
Bridal Jewelry Options for Wedding Days
exercise matching your newly discovered ring expertise with the money you’ve got available to spend. In this article, you’ll learn the most important things to consider when choosing an engagement ring for your beloved. Band: The band is the circular part of the ring that sits around the finger. It’s usually made from gold, silver, or platinum, although it can be made from some other combination of metals. Gold is yelloworange in its natural state and is normally alloyed with another metal for durability. Some prefer the lighter yellow color of less-pure gold such as 14K or 10K. “White gold” is gold alloyed with metals purposely to give the mixture an off-white color and must be plated with another metal-rhodium is common-for a bright silvery appearance. The plating wears off; some jewelers will replate their rings from time to time for free. Platinum is hard, strong and naturally silvery but
Gemstone: The gemstone is the feature piece of the ring, usually a diamond. Occasionally, this is facetiously referred to as a “rock”. The bigger the stone, the better according to many, although it’s more important to go with your girlfriend’s personality and preferences rather than assuming this. The gemstone doesn’t have to be a diamond (see below) but reasons for deviating from this should be good ones!
carat, color, clarity and cut of the gemstone (usually a diamond).
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Give a lapidary an interesting piece of rough and they will probably sit right down at their grinding/polishing machine and start cutting it. Even so, many lapidaries have materials that they prefer to cut over others. Within certain limitations, just about any rock can be cut into a cabochon.
Jasper (green with pale cream banding), which is on the market right now. The milky quartzes are white and massive with black inclusions. Some have been stained pink or pale orange from the iron in the soil.
at least six prongs for some redundancy, can be safer for a ring that is likely to be worn during significant activity.
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Cutting Stone for the Lapidary Artist: What to Cut?
will dull slightly from a mirror finish over time with wear, which is not necessarily a problem. Since a gold setting will make a diamond look very slightly yellowish, it is a waste of money to buy a very high color grade diamond to put in it.
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