There are a number of important trends happening in the jewellery industry today that you should be aware of if you have any interest in buying gemstones online. It helps to pay attention to these trends regardless of whether your interest is in investing in gemstones, looking for alternative engagement ring ideas, buying a piece of jewellery that is different from the crowd, or just a general interest in gemstones or the bespoke design.
Compelling Jewellery Trends and the Rise of the Ruby
An example of a huge trend in the industry these days is sustainability. If you want to make sure that the jewels you're buying have as little of a negative impact as possible on the planet, then looking into gemstones like rubies or sapphires is an excellent choice. The reason for this is that these gemstones come from digging sites that are on a smaller scale and that are typically discovered using a more informal approach.
This is important, because other gemstones, like diamonds, are usually mined on an absolutely huge scale. These large projects with big involvement from the local government tend to wreck the environment on a huge scale, so going with a coloured gemstone like ruby is the more environmentally responsible thing to do. It is this characteristic that is starting to draw peoples' interest in coloured gems.
However, sustainability is only a small part of a wider trend showing the rise of the ruby. Another big part of the interest is just the fact that rubies tend to win, far and away, when it comes to prices per carat at auctions. The Crimson Flame, for example, sold for just a bit under $1.2 million with only 15.04 carats. The ruby's reputation for luxury is beginning to outshine that of even diamonds.
Coloured gems like emeralds or rubies are also enjoying a rising popularity across many avenues. One of the best ways to demonstrate this is through just how many of these gemstones are being displayed by royalty. The diamond no longer reigns supreme even here. These coloured stones are all over Royalty, such as the rubies worn by Queen Anne.
The controversy around "blood diamonds" and the disastrous impact of diamonds on the environment are leading people back to the possibilities of a rainbow of coloured gems.
The Tantalizing Pull of the Ruby for Investors and Lovers of Stories
Rubies have long and rich mythology, which includes elements from just about all parts of popular culture. The history of the ruby's mythology pervades just about all cultures and goes deep back into history. There are quotes in the Bible about wisdom being more precious than rubies for a reason.
In China, the North Silk Road was where rubies were traded in large numbers around 200 BC. It was common for noblemen to wear rubies in places like India or China. Men would wear them on the scabbards of their swords to symbolize their power and cunning. The number of famous rubies in the world is a lengthy list. Some examples include The Sunrise Ruby or the Hope Ruby which sold in 2012 for $6.74 million. There's also the Mandalay Ruby or even the Burmese Ruby Tiara that Queen Elizabeth has worn for decades.
Besides the enduring and rising popularity of rubies throughout the ages, other great reasons to invest include:
An Imagination Amplifier
When it comes to investing, one of the most important considerations is making sure you invest in what other people want. Since there is no doubt that people want rubies in increasing numbers, you're already starting out soundly. Rubies are valued in the Hindu religion as the most valuable gem.
Immortality
Since rubies have a hardness of 9, they are less likely to break. Your investment has likely been around for many hundreds of thousands of years, and will likely last for generations to come. Not only is the durability and longevity of rubies a value for an investor on its own, but it's also a valuable multiplier for a ruby's worth. People love to hold bits of immortality in their hands, to feel like they are a little closer to eternity.
Universal Appeal
Just about every culture in the world admires rubies. They are no less popular in the East than they are in the West, and this is not always the case for every type of gem.
A Stand-Out Gem
The deep red of a ruby catches the eye more than most other colours. Red is the colour of standing out in nature. There is no other colour more arresting than red and there are few shades of red that draw you in like ruby red. Red is the colour of energy and vitality and it often puts people in more of a positive, energized mood all by itself. Considering the fact that the entire purpose of gemstones and jewellery, in general, is to draw the eye, it's hard to imagine a better colour for something that people are going to want to wear on their body.
Rubies also make for outstanding engagement ring alternatives. A ruby can tell the story of a couple's entire life together in a way that other gemstones will often not be able to dream of matching.
Rubies: How to Find the Genuine Article on the Internet
If you love rubies, or just love the investment potential of rubies, then you're going to want to make sure you get the real thing. It will definitely be worth the extra effort. Here are some tips on how to make sure you get a real ruby and not a fake one from some elaborate scam:
Ruby Certificates
You can get certificates that guarantee the authenticity of your rubies so that you know they haven't been faked or damaged. This is a must when it comes to any investment or anything you're going to spend that much money on in general. A good place to check for official online testing includes the GRS or Gem Research Swiss Lab. Here, you can check by date, colour photo, colour, identification, and many other characteristics. Other examples of some of the best places to go for evaluation of rubies include AGL or GIA.
Purity Test
One effective way to test the veracity of a ruby is by checking for inclusions. An inclusion is a foreign material that is trapped inside a gemstone. This could be a gas bubble, a liquid, a crystal, or another material that's different from the gem itself. Just like many gemstones, it is common for rubies to have many natural inclusions. So, during a purity test, you look for these inclusions in the ruby. There should be many.
If there are none at all, then it's likely that the ruby is exceptional and thus expensive, or a fake. It's highly rare for ruby to have no inclusions. The way to check for inclusions is with a tool called a "loupe." This allows you to look at the ruby under a magnification of up to 10 times or more. If you don't see any inclusions or foreign material in the ruby and it is being sold at a price that is too good to be true, it is probably not real, or synthetic. This is due to the fact that glass is "loupe clean," meaning it has no inclusions.
That Signature Shine
A genuine ruby has one of the most dazzling reds you've ever seen. Depending on the region of the world it has come from, it will have a signature shine, such as deep red, purplish-red or pinkish-red.
Beware Glass
A common trick that counterfeiters like to use is to make rubies out of glass since it helps the gems shine more. Also, if you compare the gem to a piece of glass and it looks the same as the glass, then chances are good it's just a fake.
Experts
Of course, the absolute best way to go about buying gemstones online is to find a company you trust to certify it for you. That way, you can also ask them questions and make sure they certify which treatments the ruby has had or not had, so you know the best way to take care of it and what you can expect from it in the long term.
Going with the Best Choice: Haruni
If you're looking for the best gemstones around, ultimately the best option is going to be at Haruni Fine Jewels in London. Whether you're looking for a wide selection of rubies, other gemstones, bespoke jewellery, or anything else related to jewellery, this is going to be your best option by far. You can get a free gem guide there, look through different precious stones, or find any number of jeweller's services.
For more information on how Haruni Fine Jewels can guide you to the perfect gems for your lifestyle, please don't hesitate to contact us today. With over 60 years of experience, we are unbelievably knowledgeable about the subject, as well as eager to guide you to whatever jewel service you need.
Have a look around, and you will see the truth of this for yourself.