Ruby Treatment
Gemstone treatment has been a popular and age-old practice. Whilst it is impossible to say what are the exact treatment methods those from ancient times would have used, the process of improving the characteristics of gemstones that are taken from nature in their rough, uncut state is a natural part of the process as mining them from nature. Ruby treatment is a part of the history of gemstone treatment, with our focus here on the more modern methods that use advances in technology to help improve the quality of the gemstone. However not all ruby treatment methods are the same, with outcomes, in terms of ruby quality, integrity and durability varies depending on the treatment method that is adopted. With some treatment methods falling further away in terms of ethicality and standard.
Why Ruby Treatment is Used
In the world of ruby treatments, the treatment methods which are used for corundum gemstones broadly applies to those of ruby stones as well. Since rubies, like sapphires, contain the same mineral character, with minor differences in terms of the presence of trace minerals. When speaking of ruby treatments one must understand the term ‘enhancement’: which is a broader term that may denote the improvement of existing qualities present in the gemstone, or and this is important, the addition of certain features to the stone artificially from the outside. Further, the kind of effects that are added via the treatment predominantly concerns the gemstone’s colour, however, certain other types of treatments alter certain other features of a gemstone, such as its physical structure.
Ruby Heating
Ruby heating is arguably the most popular type of ruby treatment. Akin to sapphire heating, ruby heating is a widely accepted practice that is aimed at enhancing the colour and clarity of the stone. This is carried out for a number of factors. First, the prevalence of gem quality rubies that meet the high standards of fine jewellery in the industry: in terms of clarity, cut, colour and carat are quite rare. And combined with the high demand for ruby stones generally, has driven up the demand for unheated stones. In addition, there is the element of cost, natural untreated rubies that qualify in terms of colour and clarity that are rare and very expensive, so there is a market pressure for quality rubies which pushes jewellers and gem suppliers to seek out treated ruby stones. Heat treatment of rubies, which is accepted by the Gemological Institute of America, a leading authority in the world of gemstones, is a widely used practice. And it involves the placing of rubies in a crucible or dedicated oven and then being subjected to high heat, where temperatures vary depending on the objective for the gemstone. The heating of the gemstone accelerates natural processes that the stone will endure if it was in the natural environment, which alters its features. In the case of heating, the aim is to improve them with respect to gemstone quality. Such as its colour: in terms of its intensity, saturation, and dispersion. This is important when it comes to corundum gemstones where the dispersion of colour could be irregular.
Affects on Ruby Clarity
The heat treatment of ruby stones also has an effect on the internal structure of the stone, notable here is the effect it produces on the internal structure of the stone, critically by changing its rutile character, by melting prominent rutiles and giving the gemstone a greater uniform spread of colour. This is vital since ruby values are based not only on strong the colour is but also on the uniformity of its spread. With the absence and/or weakening of unpleasant white lines and crack shaped rutiles, it gives the gemstone a more beauteous look.
Ruby Glass Filling
This is the newest and most commonly seen treatment of Rubies in the marketplace today. Low-grade Ruby is one that is filled with cracks and fissures and other blemishes. Rubies that have been subjected to this treatment undergo the process of addition, whereby undesirable cavities in the stone are filled with other materials like hardened glass. Which usually occurs after the first round of heating. These ruby stones are bleached and then heat treated with the addition of liquid glass. This glass penetrates the Ruby and improves the clarity by reducing the number of visible cracks on the surface. The percentage of glass that is filled varies based on the adopted method, with certain treatments going up as much as 75 per cent and over, depending on the type of glass filling treatment that is adopted. Glass filling method of ruby treatment is used to deal with cracks and other fissures within the structure of the stone that gives rise to cavities and other inconsistencies, that undermine the beauty of the gemstone, especially when viewed under microscopic instruments these blemishes become more apparent. The main shortfall of glass filling treatment for rubies is that the gemstone is generally not very stable post-treatment. Depending on the temperature changes, certain cleaners and shock can cause the lead glass to fall out of the stone. Other shortfalls come down to buyer perception, with most customers of fine jewellery, generally uncomfortable with ruby stones that contain external elements that are not naturally part of the chemistry of the stone, and hence may even opt for lab-grown variants. Further, jewellery companies that trade in glass-filled rubies tend not to be the most reputable, raising further questions for buyers who are seeking authentic blood-red rubies.