Lead Glass-Filled Ruby in Antique Jewelry
Another article recently found in Gems and Gemology, Summer 2010, in the Gem News International section....
Paraphrasing the article - More and more of the lead glass filled rubies are being seen in retail stores, jewelry websites and TV Shopping Channels. Even an old setting with seed pearls and mine cut diamonds had a new lead glass filled ruby in the center!
We stay away from this type of enhancement. Heat is now a normal occurrence in Sapphire and Ruby - it is more rare NOT to be heated and unheated gemstones can have a premium associated with them. Many Rubies are being filled to hide the cracks and issues most have. Our Burmese Rubies are free of this issue as can be seen in the certs. Though heated, even if some of the borax used as a catalyst gets sucked into a pit the size of a pin prick, the cert will indicate some sort of filler. This is very different than the lead glass filler which is usually performed on gemstones that would otherwise not be considered gem grade. We have seen some Rubies while in Chantaburi, Thailand, that were more glass than Ruby!
Learn more about what is being done to Ruby and Sapphire on our Learn More Page:
< Learn More >
To see Fine Ruby from Burma (prior to the embargo), visit our Ruby Photos Page where we discuss treatments of Ruby also:
< Ruby Photos Page >
Paraphrasing the article - More and more of the lead glass filled rubies are being seen in retail stores, jewelry websites and TV Shopping Channels. Even an old setting with seed pearls and mine cut diamonds had a new lead glass filled ruby in the center!
We stay away from this type of enhancement. Heat is now a normal occurrence in Sapphire and Ruby - it is more rare NOT to be heated and unheated gemstones can have a premium associated with them. Many Rubies are being filled to hide the cracks and issues most have. Our Burmese Rubies are free of this issue as can be seen in the certs. Though heated, even if some of the borax used as a catalyst gets sucked into a pit the size of a pin prick, the cert will indicate some sort of filler. This is very different than the lead glass filler which is usually performed on gemstones that would otherwise not be considered gem grade. We have seen some Rubies while in Chantaburi, Thailand, that were more glass than Ruby!
Learn more about what is being done to Ruby and Sapphire on our Learn More Page:
< Learn More >
To see Fine Ruby from Burma (prior to the embargo), visit our Ruby Photos Page where we discuss treatments of Ruby also:
< Ruby Photos Page >
posted by All That Glitters at 4:14 PM
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