When it comes to choosing a Ruby, go with what shade of red which will most enhance your skin tone, lipstick shade and hair color! Sounds a bit like a Ruby & Fashion Guide but, let's face it! When you pick a gemstone go for the color that best suits your color tone. (and even what you wear). Ask yourself this question, "Am I enhancing my appearance with a gemstone or is the gemstone enhancing me".  Remember, this is all about YOU!

Inclusions in a Ruby should not make a difference, unless they are are so many inclusions that the Ruby loses its transparency. If you buy a Ruby with no inclusions then it may be a lab created gemstone! All rubies should have some small inclusions. Think of inclusions in a Ruby as the DNA of the gemstone. 

Remember, a perfect ruby is highly prized and hard to find. If you find a perfect ruby for sale at an unbelievable low, low price then request an independent third party appraisal before moving forward with the sale.

Rubies come from all over the world and the origin of a ruby can be known from its geographical location (its birth place).  A Ruby been touted as "Burmese" may be from the famous Mogok Stone Tract. However, when someone describes a Ruby as Burmese in color, this does not necessarily mean it came from the Mogok Stone Tract, it means it has a color similiar to the Rubies found in that location.

Gemstones do not come with a Passport - so whenever anyone claims the exact origin of a gemstone - ask for absolute proof (especially if you're spending thousands of dollars!)

Rubies found in Viet Nam may dislay a purplish hue, while Rubies found in East Africa have some gorgeous colors which range from light to dark red.

Again, your best bet in buying a Ruby is to pick a color which appeals to you! Don't forget that people are selling Declasse Rubies (read our Emerald Buying Guide for more information on Declasse - Promotional Stones). Declasse Rubies will have NO transparency, looked matted and be absolutey lifeless!

Valuation of jewelry and gems has come a long way in the past few decades. The determination of what makes a finished piece of jewelry or loose gem worth "x" as opposed to "y" has been a topic of discussion for both industry insiders and consumers. Unfortunately, there are a few gemological laboratories, which err on the high side of value, as opposed to using a more conservative approach.

The valuation of finshed jewelry and gems will never be an exact science. As such, the gemological labs, which pull out ALL the stops, when valuating jewelry and gems - can be so far over the top that such high valuations simply confuse the consumer/buyer. In addition, these super high valuations (offered by a few spurious laboratories) also serve to set higher than average industry norms and therefore, consumer's may be paying way too much for an item, which is of lesser quality than that of a "true" high end quality product. It's a dangerous precedent and one that needs to be addressed.

Appraisals:

Appraisals do assist those purchasing jewelry and gems online in achieving a comfort level when purchasing an item they can't see, touch and feel (in person). However, there are many different types of appraisals, you can receive an appraisal which discloses an Estimated Retail Value, one for Insurance Replacement Value or one which is deemed a Quality Assurance Report.

• Estimated Retail Value appraisals are based upon the average (national) estimated retail value the item could achieve (depending on the market in which you're purchasing an item).
• Insurance Replacement Value is what your insurance company will accept as the instrument of value in insuring your items. Remember, insurance companies have the right (in most cases) to replace the item at their cost, as opposed to paying on a claim. Four years ago, the biggest jewelry retailer in the United States was NOT a jewelry chain but, a well-known insurance company. They purchased over $1 Billion dollars in replacement goods.
• A Quality Assurance Report is just what it means, a QAR let's you buy an item in confidence, as it certifies that the gem or jewelry item you're purchasing is "certified" to be exactly as described.
  
  You will also find that many insurers actually allow you to increase the value of your gems and jewelry by up to 5% per year. This should tell you something about the value of gems and jewelry in the marketplace and why prices only go up on merchandise and never seem to plateau or go down. If you opt for an estimated retail value appraisal, your premiums will go through the roof and this is why many consumers opt for Insurance Replacement Value, as opposed to Estimated Retail Value appraisals. A Quality Assurance Report is just what it means, a QAR let's you buy an item in confidence, as it certifies that the gem or jewelry item you're purchasing is "certified" to be exactly as described.

Terminology - Words - Words - Words:

There are many words to describe gems and jewelry. When gems and jewelry are listed on eBay, Eye-Catching" words (such as the following) may appear in the title: (We have labeled the following as Word Group "A")

• Gorgeous
• Beautiful
• Stunning
• Exquisite
• Unbelievable
• Elegant
• Magnificent
• Fascinating

However, there are listings, which also appear in conjunction with the above related words and they may be as follows:
(We have labeled the following as Word Group "B")

• Ultra Fine
• AAAAA
• AAAA Fine
• XTRA Fine
• Super Fine
• Gem Fine
• Deluxe Fine
• Museum Quality
• Museum Aged

Describing a gem as Ultra Fine, AAAAA, XTRA Fine, Super Fine (and so on) may be confusing for those who are not familiar with the 4C's when buying diamonds and/or jewelry set with diamonds.

Gem Cards - A Questionable Practice:

What's more disturbing is the use of the words "fine" and "extra fine" (and so on ) on Gem Cards. Gem Cards seem to be the new wave in selling jewelry and gems. They are usually offered for free and look like a plastic credit card. These cards may have a picture of the item, carat weight and some type of grading information. If it's a diamond ring, which has been graded and there are many diamonds in the piece, the piece may be graded as VS-1 to I1. In other words, if it's a pave setting you're being offered (which may contain 5 pointer diamonds) this means that one diamond (out of the entire group) may be VS-1 however, the remaining diamonds may be all I1's.

The Gem Card is the next great selling tool, as this little card can carry a message of "high value".  In the case where the diamonds are graded VS-1 to I1 - the term "VS-1 is what catches the buyer's eye. VS-1 is the grading which "sells" the piece. However, once you receive the item and find crusty white I1 diamonds and one VS-1 diamond - you'll be sorely disappointed  - as in many cases, the one "good" diamond stands out amongst the crusty white "smashed glass look" of the I1 diamonds.

It's not by accident that a VS-1 diamond is set into the piece. Put in a VS-1 diamond and the seller can use the grading however, it's a slippery slope upon which they sell such goods, as if one diamond is a VS-1 and the remaining diamonds are I1's - the quality of the piece and the high value attached via a Gem Card - becomes questionable.

Gem Cards should NOT be given any weight when purchasing a finished piece of jewelry or loose gem as they set a bad example for the entire industry. They bring into question the validity of value and this has far reaching implications for the entire gemological grading industry.

Acceptable and Non Acceptable Words in Descriptions:

If one uses words such as Elegant, Fascinating and Stunning (as listed in Word Group "A") then this is the opinion of the Seller and the piece may indeed present itself as "Elegant and Fascinating". However, to use words such as XTRA Fine, Gem Fine or AAAAA may be a bit confusing for many buyer's who may think these terms apply to the cut and clarity of a given gem.

In fact, those who use terms such as "Museum Quality" or "Museum Aged" may be teetering a bit on the side "carnival barking" their wares - as to imply a gem is "Museum Quality" - is to imply the item should be displayed in a Museum!

We've all been to Museums at one time or another in our lives and the only Museum (or Institute) I have seen Museum Quality gems is at the Smithsonian. If we're talking the Hope Diamond then that's one thing however, if we're talking about a three carat Burmese Ruby, then I think that stating "Museum Quality" may be a far reaching use of wording.

"Museum Aged" is another term, which (I think) may imply that an item is so old that it should be in a Museum. Okay, one slight problem on this use of wording and that goes to the core of "just how old are gems - which are mined from the earth?". I guess you can see my point.

Gem Origins:

When gem listings use words such as "Burmese Ruby" does that mean that the Ruby indeed came from Burma? Unless the gem arrived with a stamped passport from Burma or a gem "birth certificate" then one really does NOT know the origin of the gem. However, to state the gem is Burmese may simply imply the color of the stone is that of Rubies which originate from Burma.

What's even more disturbing is the use of the phrase "pre-embargo burma rubies". How does anyone what a "pre-embargo" ruby looks like let alone, that it is indeed a "pre-embargo" burma ruby?

The same can be said of Emeralds originating from Zambia or Tanzanite originating from Tanzania. Tanzanite also comes from other parts of the world - as do rubies, emeralds and sapphires.

A Word About Jewelry Television Shows...

I was sitting at home last evening and flipping through the channels to see what might be worth watching. I have been accused of surfing the television channels as much as I surf the Internet. I was moving along, at a very brisk pace, I stopped and watched a few minutes here and there of the usual suspects; National Geographic Channel, The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel.

No doubt, I enjoy learning about history, health and about other cultures around the globe. I caught the last ten minutes of the History of Rome and then continued to surf until I came upon a jewelry shopping channel. They were selling a Blue Topaz and White Sapphire Diamond Ring for $1499.00. I stopped dead in my tracks and watched this channel for the next two hours (a record, when you consider that my attention span is about 15 minutes).

Needless to say, the Topaz and White Sapphire Ring were selling like the proverbial hotcakes they must be! After all, you can pay for this beauty in monthly installments, pay no interest and get this goodie in the mail within three weeks.

I sat and listened to the hype, the selling points of this item and soon found myself on my feet and pacing in disbelief, as I watched the selling counter on the screen continue to rise - as fast as my blood pressure. 

The immediate question that came to mind was just how many of these rings do they have in stock and who's manufacturing them? Okay, I'll admit it was a nice ring but, definitely not worth $1499.00. In fact, just how special can an item be if a thousand of them can be sold? No doubt, every gemstone is different from the next one.

The sell point was good. They just kept affirming that the piece was beautiful, lovely, spectacular, gorgeous, astounding, an heirloom for future generations and a "must have" for the next formal outing.

The "buzz" words just kept piling up until the point that I myself - was ready to pick up the telephone and add another number to the selling counter on the screen.

What's even better is that those who were buying up this item, were calling in and selling the item by adding their own "two cents" to enhance the description even further.

What a great idea? Get yourself some cable time, dress in a nice suit and sell your stuff, in fact, allow potential buyers to sell it for you by letting them call in and "connect" with you and your audience (even though they have absolutely NO CLUE what it is they're buying) and just watch the sales go up, up up!

I could NOT believe that so many people simply believe what they're told by a television personality. No doubt, you have to have a "personality" to connect with your audience and it seems as though the "personality" of the seller (call them Barkers) bark out what they think will sell an item. Add a nice set to the background, a model wearing the item and some CGI graphics and you have one heck of a show!

These television personalities use a combination of "affirmation" and "disbelief" in their non-stop diatribe expounding on any item. I other words, they affirm the "buzz" words over and over again and then add their own "disbelief" that the item is just so darn cheap.

However, is it cheap? The resounding answer is NO! Buy the setting on eBay and the gems from Thailand on eBay and you can cut the price drastically! You can even find like (finished) jewelry items on eBay for 75% less! In fact, the majority of what may see being sold on these Gem Television Programs is sold less expensively on eBay.

After getting rather annoyed that a television show could "hawk" and "bark" an item to such an extreme, I surfed to the next channel and what do you know? Another jewelry selling channel however, this one came with a twist, they sold items with an appraisal of estimated retail value. The estimates were so far off the wall that I just sat there in absolute disbelief (and shock) as consumers were scooping up these goodies one right after the other.

It's no wonder eBay caught on so fast and no doubt, those at home, either don't own a computer or, just have so much disposable income that they just don't know what to do with it!

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