September Birthstone

Birthstone Color: Deep Blue
The striking deep blue of a quality sapphire is reminiscent of a cloudless night sky. Ancient civilizations believed that the world was set upon an enormous sapphire, which painted the sky blue with its reflection. This legend, as well as the belief that the ten commandments were inscribed upon tablets made of sapphire, gives September’s birthstone a royal place among gemstones.

Named after the Greek word "sapphirus", meaning blue, Sapphires have long been a favorite among priests and kings, who considered them symbolic of wisdom and purity. These gemstones are prominent among the British Crown Jewels, and Prince Charles chose this as the engagement stone for his fiancée, Princess Diana.

In ancient times, Sapphires were thought to be protective against envy, and even against poisoning. A common belief was that a venomous snake placed in a Sapphire vessel would rapidly die! Ground to a powder, the blue stone was believed to cure colic, rheumatism and mental illness, and to strengthen eyesight.

Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum. Corundum is found in every color of the rainbow, with red being designated as ruby and all other hues Sapphire. But the most prized color of Sapphire is a rich, deep blue. These gemstones were mined as early as the 7th Century BC from India and what is now Sri Lanka. They are found today in Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Myanmar, Thailand, Australia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, China, Madagascar, and the United States. Large specimens of Corundum crystals are rare, although the 563-carat Star of India can be seen in the American Museum of Natural History. This is the largest and most famous of star Sapphires, which are cut to reflect light from inclusions within the stone, revealing a bright six-legged star pattern.

The Sapphire is second only to the Diamond in hardness, making it a durable gemstone for setting into jewelry. A gift of Sapphire represents sincerity and faithfulness. As nourishing to the soul as gazing up at the sky on a summer day, this brilliant blue gemstone is truly a heavenly choice!

http://www.about-birthstones.com/septemberbirthstone.html

Ruby.... the red, the passion - July birthstone

The gemstone ruby is the red variety of the mineral Corundum, the second hardest natural mineral to diamond. Ruby is the July birthstone, and the Capricorn Zodiac stone. Ruby has been associated with the values of love, success, integrity, passion, and promise.

All colors of corundum other than red or white are called Sapphire The red color in ruby is caused by trace amounts of the element chromium. The best shade of red for ruby is often given the name "pigeon blood red", but ruby can be any shade of red up to almost pink.


The Hixon Ruby Crystal is a 196.10-carat gem that was donated to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles in 1978 by Frederick C. Hixon. It is considered to be one of the most perfect large ruby crystals in the world.


Known variously as the Alan Caplan Ruby or the Mogok Ruby, this 15.97-carat untreated Burmese stone was sold by Sotheby's of New York in October 18th, 1988 for $3,630,000; a whopping $227,301 per carat. It was purchased by Graff of London, who reportedly sold it to the Sultan of Brunei as an engagement ring for one of his wives.



Weighing 138.7 carats, the Rosser Reeves Ruby is one of the world's largest and finest star rubies. This Sri Lankan stone is renowned for its great color and well-defined star pattern. Advertising mogul Rosser Reeves, who donated the piece to the Smithsonian in 1965, carried it around as a lucky stone, referring to it as his baby. He often stated that he had acquired the stone at an auction in Istanbul in the mid-1950s. He actually bought the stone from Robert C. Nelson Jr. of New York who was acting on behalf of Firestone & Parson of Boston. Firestone & Parson were selling the stone for Mr. Paul Fisher of New York. Mr. Robert Fisher, Paul's father, had bought the ruby at an auction in London in 1953. At the time the ruby then weighed just over 140 carats, but was very heavily scratched, and a few carats were removed in the repolishing. The repolishing also helped to center the stone's star. Articles in the New York World-Telegram and The Sun in 1953 mentioned this fabulous gemstone.


www.famousdiamonds.com

Beware Glass-Filled Ruby, Trade Warns

On Dec. 20, a coalition of six industry associations published a consumer advisory noting the increased amount of lead-glass-filled rubies in the marketplace, warning they are often sold without disclosure, “with no information on the required special care to maintain the appearance of the product.” The release notes that certain actions, including common exposure to heats, acids, and polishing, can drastically alter and even ruin the appearance of these products.

The six groups behind the statement are the American Gemological Laboratories, American Gem Trade Association, Gem Research Swisslab, Jewelers Vigilance Committee, Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America, and the New York Gemstone Association.

The statement called on ruby sellers to disclose any and all treatments, noting that nondisclosure is a violation of Federal Trade Commission guidelines. “There is, and always has been, a legal responsibility to disclose not only the treatment but also the special care required with this product,” Douglas K. Hucker, CEO of the AGTA, tells JCK.

In fact, depending on the level of treatment and lead glass filling to which this material has been subject, it may be improper to use the name ruby alone to describe these products, the statement notes.

Nondisclosure can also cause financial loss to retailers and consumers who think they are buying rubies at bargain prices, and damage overall consumer confidence in the industry, according to the statement.

Undisclosed treated ruby has been a problem for a long time, according to Bear Williams, director of Stone Group Lab in Jefferson City, Mo. Williams says the material started showing up in the trade seven years ago. He worked with industry leaders to help strengthen disclosure language when he saw that much of it was not being revealed for what it was.

“If you know what you’re buying, it’s okay and the product should not be demonized,” he explains. “But if people are buying what they think are natural rubies, then we’ve got some serious issues.”

Gemologist and author Antoinette Matlins, who aided Good Morning America in a nationwide investigation of undisclosed ruby composite products in 2009, notes that even lemon juice can damage a lead-glass-treated ruby.

“Clearly in the gemological community, there is growing concern about communicating that these are not like any other ruby,” she tells JCK. “If a product no longer behaves like a ruby, then it can’t be called a ruby. Ask any bench jeweler about how lead-glass-treated rubies behave. Their chemical composition is no longer essentially that of a corundum.”

The groups behind the statement noted that while FTC regulations do not mandate exact wording to identify the products or disclose treatments, a compilation of descriptions and classifications used by some gemological laboratories and trade associations are outlined here:

American Gem Trade Association: "Glass filled composite ruby, special care required." See Gemstone Information Manual.

American Gemological Laboratories: Composite ruby represents a composite of natural corundum and glass, also known as hybrid ruby, and is heavily treated … vastly improving the apparent clarity and adding weight.

Gemological Institute of America: For a vast majority of this material (LMHC Info Sheet 3 Levels 2 & 3), GIA will not issue ruby reports but will issue identification reports and the description “a manufactured product consisting of glass and ruby” and that “this product is known to be unstable” and requires special care.

Gemological Research Swisslab: “Synthetic Glass/Treated Ruby” (GRS–type “Hybrid Ruby”) with comments heat-treated and filled with a colored foreign solid substance (including lead). Special care required when handling, also known as composite ruby.

-JCK Online