Do rubies need to be heat treated?
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.
Are heat treated rubies real?
Almost all rubies (95%) of rubies today are heat-treated. There are different types and level of heat treatment in rubies. Heat treatment can also improve the clarity of a ruby by removing or reducing inclusions and making them less visible. The way this works is quite technical.
How do you treat a ruby?
Heat Treatment Ruby is heated to improve its clarity and color. At temperatures above 1700 degrees Celsius, the silk dissolves and improves the color and clarity of the stone. This treatment can turn a colorless ruby into a blue ruby. At lower temperatures, silk can be improved and the color lightened.
How do you tell if a ruby has been heat treated?
However they are quite easy to tell and if you are looking at a ruby that has been heat treated you will not seen any filler or noticeable enhancement. If it was a poor ruby in the first place no amount of heat treatment will make it perfect!
How do you treat a raw ruby?
The Ruby is placed in a crucible and heated to extreme temperatures of around 1800 degrees. 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.
How do you heat treat gemstones at home?
The best tool for heating gems is a computer-controlled burnout furnace . It allows for very gradual changes in temperature. This reduces thermal shock, which can destroy some gems. If you don’t have access to a computer-controlled oven, you can try other methods.
How can you tell a good ruby?
The Color of 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.
Are most rubies treated?
Because of this, rubies are rarely eye-clean and tend to have several imperfections, such as silk-like fibers, crystal inclusions of various shapes, cavities, and rutile needles, among others. Therefore, in order to improve the color and overall quality of the jewel, it is heat-treated.
Are rubies usually treated?
Gems have been treated for centuries, and some of the treatments are commonly accepted in the jewellery trade and by gemmologists. This treatment involves taking non-gem quality rubies and filling cavities and fractures in them with lead glass which alters the construction of the stone.
How can you tell a quality ruby?
Most rubies do not come with a grading report; however, like a diamond, color, clarity and size are significant in pricing. The most important of these factors is vividness of color. The finest ruby has a pure, vibrant red. Gemologists assess color by considering hue, tone, and saturation.
What is an 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.