What does heated ruby mean?

For example, heat treatment in rubies and sapphires improves the transparency of the gem. It's a permanent treatment, these gems are formed under tremendous heat and pressure in nature, so it a continuation of the heating that occurs in nature.

Are heated rubies good?

You should assume your ruby is heated. Rubies that have a report from an independent laboratory like GIA confirming there is no evidence of heat command a premium due to their rarity. Rubies that have been diffused or are glass filled are worth less than heated rubies.

What's the difference between a heated and unheated ruby?

Unheated Ruby is classified as Natural Ruby that has not been heat treated. These natural rubies are known to be quite easy to identify as compared to the unheated rubies, as it has natural inclusions that are 10 times visible when seen using a microscope.

Are heated gemstones less valuable?

Heat treatment is the most common treatment and without heat treatment the availability of fine gems would be significantly less. With less gems prices would be dramatically higher only available to the rich. This is the reason untreated gems often command 30% to 50% higher prices.

Why would you heat a ruby?

Heat Treated Ruby

The atmosphere around the Ruby can be altered to change the way the Ruby reacts but the basic idea is that the heat will dissolve any rutile inclusions inside the stone which will improve the clarity and improve the red colour.

Heat Treating Rubies

What does it mean when a gemstone is heated?

What Is Heat Treatment? Heat Treatment is a gemstone's exposure to high temperatures that alters the color and increases the clarity. Specifically, heating is used to lighten, darken or enrich the color. Without heat treated gemstones, fine gems' availability in the most desirable colors would be scarce.

What is the difference between heated and unheated gemstones?

By appearance, is there a difference between natural and heat-treated sapphires? Yes, but to a trained eye. Generally speaking, natural no-heat sapphires will have a softer luster and smoother surface appeal. Heated sapphires display a glass-like surface that feels hard and unnatural.

What does color enhanced ruby mean?

What does “enhancement” mean in the gem trade? ENHANCEMENT: Any treatment process other than cutting and polishing that improves the appearance (color/clarity/phenomena), durability, or availability of a gemstone.

What does Enhanced ruby mean?

Heat treatment involves using high temperatures to lighten, darken, or even change the natural color of a gemstone to improve its overall appearance. These color changes are permanent, and the treatment is often performed on gemstones such as aquamarine, topaz, ruby, and sapphire.

What does no heat gem mean?

Unheated sapphires and untreated sapphires are one and the same as no treatment can be applied to a sapphire without the help of heat treatment. Unheated sapphires mean the sapphire is natural and it has not been enhanced by any form of heat treatment or any other treatment.

What does heat treatment do to a ruby?

Ruby and sapphire of natural or synthetic origin can be heat treated to improve asterism; to remove asterism or silk; to improve, add, or remove color; and even to alter imperfections.

How can you tell a quality ruby?

The finest ruby has a pure, vibrant red to slightly purplish red color. In most markets, pure red colors command the highest prices and ruby with overtones of orange and purple are less valued. The color must be neither too dark nor too light to be considered finest quality.

How do you tell if a ruby is real with a flashlight?

Real rubies glow with a deep, vivid, almost "stoplight" red. Fake gems are often dull: they are "light, but not bright." If the gem is more of a dark red, then it may be garnet instead of a ruby.

How can you tell a real ruby from a fake?

At a 9 on the Mohs scale, rubies aren't easily scratched unless you use a diamond. Other gemstones and imitations are more fragile. You can scratch the surface of your ruby with a coin, and if it leaves marks, you likely have a fake. Real rubies won't get scratched by keys or coins.

What percentage of rubies are heat treated?

Today almost 95% of all rubies set into jewellery are heat treated in some way. However, these can still be very expensive up to $5000 per carat, as a good ruby in the first place has only been enhanced to bring out its natural colour.

Are heat treated Burmese rubies valuable?

The highest anyone has ever paid for a Burmese ruby has been $1 million USD per carat. However, in general, you can find high quality Burmese rubies priced around $10,000 per carat.

Why are some rubies so cheap?

Natural rubies are formed under the earth's crust over the course of 20 million years, whereas lab-created rubies are synthesized in a controlled setting in a laboratory. Lab-created rubies tend to be much cheaper than natural rubies. They also tend to be produced without the flaws that are present in natural rubies.

Are there different grades of ruby?

The cut and weight are also reviewed, and sometimes the origin of the ruby can affect its grade as well. With this system, rubies can be graded according to different ranks. The categories of this grading system include AAA, AA, A, and B qualities.

When did heat treatment of rubies start?

Heat treatment of corundums has been mentioned in a number of early works, particularly by Arabs. Teifaschi, in his treatise on gems from about 1240 AD, had this to say: In Sarandib [Sri Lanka] and its environs, ruby is treated by fire.

Are heated sapphires valuable?

Heating is an accepted treatment for sapphire. But for fine-quality sapphire, confirmation from an independent laboratory like GIA that there is no evidence of heat adds to a sapphire's rarity and value.

What does it mean if a sapphire is heated?

The oldest and most common sapphire enhancement is heat treatment, and the majority of the sapphires in the marketplace have been heat-treated or thermally enhanced in furnaces. Heat treatment is used to improve a sapphire's color, remove color zoning , and improve clarity.

How can you tell if a gemstone has been dyed?

Another thing you can look is the colors of the gemstone. If you observed that there are areas of the gemstone where the color is extremely concentrated than the other areas of the stone, then it's likely dyed.

How do you test a ruby at home?

Grind a coin or fingernail into your ruby's surface and see if it is getting scratches. If your stone is showing a scratch, then it is not a real ruby. Scratch the ruby against a hard surface such as a piece of clear glass or a porcelain tile. Keep in mind to check if the ruby stone leaves a red mark on the surface.