The second major color is best described as
“electric magenta”. The predominate color is red and the
secondary is pink. These beautiful stones are light-toned,
bright, and vibrate with color.
The final group is “hot electric pink” or “day glo pink”
gemstones. These stones tend to look good even without any
direct light. The primary color is still red, but with less red
than the “electric magenta” colors.
Which color is best for collectors? This is a controversial
subject among dealers and collectors. Some collectors love
strictly one group, for example the “pigeon blood” reds, to the
exclusion of the other groups. Some collectors strictly collect
the pinks or magentas. Some collectors believe it is too
difficultto trade in only one group and collect the finest
examples of all three groups. This is probably the most prudent
strategy. For collectors on a budget, you can start with the hot
pinks and work your way up through the magentas to the reds as
your finances allow.
For the finest one carat unheated Mogok Burma rubies cost
between US $9000- US $33000 per carat. For two carat Mogok
Burmas are available from US $14000 – US $54000, for three
carats between US $30000 – US $85000 per carat. For four carat
Mogok Burmas can easily exceed US $110000 per carat. Larger gem
quality Mogok Burma rubies can reach hundreds of thousands to
over one million dollars per carat.
Ever since Burma’s Communist leaders shut off the country in
1962, Mogok Burma ruby has been an endangered species. Even
before 1962, the famous Mogok tract production was in sharp
decline. Mogok is 4000 feet above sea level .
Due to the severe shortages in Burma production, the majority of
rubies bought and sold today are from Mozambique, Africa. The
new find in 2011 has brought relief to the lack of material from
Burma. If you are looking to collect a ruby on a more moderate
budget, many experts predict this stone may eventually gain the
acceptance Burma ruby now holds. Almost all of these stones are
cooked. Research right now is trying to determine if some
Mozambique material is cooked under low heat vs. high heat. Stay
tuned. Try to focus on the gems that look like Burma ruby and
are not heated. Occasionally, you can find an intense red/orange
that is highly desirable. They do not have the desirable
fluorescence of the Burma gems. As a general rule, for unheated
Mozambique ruby, deduct 50%-75% from Burma prices. Beware
because these stones often come with “junk” certificates
claiming they are “pigeon” blood .
When only the most luscious of red rubies will do for a special
jewelry setting, precious stones harvested from Burma prove
nearly impossible to top. While the July birthstone is found all
over the world, including Africa, Australia and America, rubies
from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, tend to be the most
visually stunning.
Burmese ruby value can vary based on the quality of the
individual stone in question. When ruby prices are considered
carefully alongside quality, stones from this particular region
tend to live up to their cost. The most precious of these stones
are characterized by a robust, rich red color that has just a
slight hint of blue to add depth to its beauty. The finest
stones in the world are mined in Myanmar, which is why the term
“Burmese ruby” and high quality go hand-in-hand.
Rubies come in a variety of shades – While red and ruby are
synonymous, not all of these precious stones have the rich red
color offset by blue that have made Burmese rubies so highly
sought after. These stones can vary from that deep, dark red to
also include such hues as pigeon blood red and pinkish red. The
red in the stone, by the way, comes from traces of chromium.
Rubies are highly durable – If the desire is to purchase a stone
that will stand up to the rigors of wear, rubies
will deliver. They rate a 9 on the Mohs scale, tying closely
related sapphires and only coming in as slightly softer than
diamonds.
Rubies are flawed – It is nearly impossible to find a ruby
without imperfections. In fact, when a stone is locat
ed that’s flawless, it will fetch a higher price than a diamond
of similar weight and quality.
Rubies are treated to shine even more – It is a standard
practice in the jewelry industry to treat rubies to enhance
their color and add even more strength to the design.
The world’s finest rubies all come from the metamorphic rocks of
Mogok, in Myanmar. Traditional methods of mining, with little
mechanization, are still used; they work best in digging the
gemstones out of narrow calcite veins and thin beds of buried
placer gravel.
Rare Burmese rubys is the rarest of all colored gems, and
Burmese ruby has long been the premier investment gem. Fine
unheated Burmese rubies in larger sizes draw prices as high as
US $300000 to US $400000 a carat at auction. Vivid red — a color
known in the trade as pigeon’s blood — is the most valuable
color. Rubies tend to have inclusions, so color is more
important than perfect clarity.