We found a brilliant jewelry manufacturer locally, which has been operating from the same premises for the past 20 year and in the aria for much longer. What questions should I ask him regarding the following gemstones, in terms of quality etc.? • Ruby • Spinal • Pyrope Garnet Any advice welcome please!
Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2012 3:45 am Posts: 134 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hi there, I personally feel that you have put a good budget to shop for a gem. Go for a reputable dealer, less worry about synthetic gems...
red garnet (pyrope-almandine) is quite affordable, and it is quite durable, good for ring. The red color ranges from purplish red, blood red, orangish red to dark red. I haven't heard of any treatment applied on red garnet yet. So you can shop without worrying too much on that matter. examine the stone under different light settings, as some garnet may turn too dark under certain lighting conditions. Your budget is definitely enough to get a relatively big, nice red garnet gem.
spinel is cheaper than ruby, quite durable as well. And some have color that is very close to that of a fine ruby. May not be common in jewellery shops. Personally, I feel that it is not that cheap but your budget should be enough to get one. Ask the seller about the spinel gem's origin (Myanmar (famed for rich, pure red), Tanzania (famed for rich pure red and pinkish red)and SriLanka (more pinkish gems) are popular sources, not sure Afghan stones are still available today...).I haven't see any heated spinel, but heard about this treatment on spinel. Maybe you can ask about this as well.
Ruby are the most expensive among the three. Ask about the origin, types of treatment (heated only, heated with flux, heated with lead glass, etc). small nice natural red ruby, or pink sapphire should still be manageable within your budget. Genuine, natural, untreated rubies are always expensive. if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is too good to be true....
For daily wear, I feel that ruby and spinel may be too precious for that purpose. No matter how hard and durable a gem is, it can still get scratched/ damaged if subjected to harsh environment for a long time.
If you are open to other natural red gem options, try tourmaline. the pinkish red or orange-red variety should be quite affordable. Red carnelians can be quite pretty too. There are red/ pink zircons as well, but definitely not suitable for ring.
If you don't mind synthetic....synthetic rubies are super gorgeous! red CZ are nice too!
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