Are rubies good enough for an engagement ring? Yes, they are good enough and in fact, good quality ruby can be more expensive than a similar size diamond! High quality Rubies are also rarer than diamonds and sourcing a beautiful one is actually a bigger challenge.
Challenges in acquiring a nice ruby include:
- Require physically seeing the stone as pictures do not show true color, clarity, and fire.
- Gem labs still do not provide all the required details we need to be confident in buying a ruby base only on their certificate.
- Limited supply, so there are fewer of them to compare with.
- Most retailers globally do not have experience dealing with them. So they cannot explain the different treatments they have gone through.
Luckily as we are located in Bangkok, the ruby capital of the world, we can solve most of the above issues. Also having dealt with rubies for more than 15 years, we can now distinguish what a good quality ruby is and whether is it a ‘fair’ price based on the various factors.
Anyways, I believe the best testimonial regarding how experienced we are is by providing examples of ruby engagement rings we have made over the years. Not once had our clients complained or not thought they were good enough for their engagement ring.
The main factor we must look at when buying a ruby is 4Cs+OT quality which we will explain below.
Also, if you don’t believe us, just look at the list of famous people and celebrities who wear ruby engagement rings.
Famous people or Celebrities Wearing Ruby rings
One of the more famous ruby engagement rings is worn by Jessica Simpson which is her birthstone.
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson chose this ring from celebrity jeweler Neil Johnson. The center ruby is ultra-rare 5 carat ruby, which is supported by smaller size side diamonds. Rubies above 3 carats are really rare and pricey as well.
The ring is also not cheap with an estimated value at that time of around US$100,000. Now the current value is even higher and or priceless as there is some history with it.
Other famous ruby rings and highly expensive ruby rings are:
- Elizabeth Taylor’s Puertas Ruby ring – Sold for US$4.2 Million
- The Sunrise Ruby and Diamond Ring by Cartier – Sold for US$30 Million
- The Graff Ruby Ring – Sold for US$8.6 Million
- The Patiño Ruby and Diamond Ring – Sold for US$6.7 Million
- The Queen of Burma – Sold for US$6 Million
Rubies are Scratch Resistance & Durable
Rubies are naturally hard stones – rated in Mohs scale 9 – only diamonds scale higher than this. Only materials equal to or above this scale can scratch it. Therefore, only another ruby (or corundum) or diamond can scratch it.
This makes Rubies durable to wear on rings or any other type of jewelry. So, the wearer does not have to worry about getting it damaged easily, and will last for generations.
Ruby comes in many color ranges
By definition ruby’s dominant color needs to be a ‘red’ hue but it can be supported with side colors like purplish-red, pinkish-red or orangish-red, etc.
Some definition of red color definitions used in the trade is provided below:
- Pigeon’s Blood
- Royal Red
- Vivid Red
- Red
- Pinkish-Red
- Purplish-Red
- Orangish-Red
We recommend seeing the different colors on Lotus lab website: https://www.lotusgemology.com/index.php/lab/color-types
How should one go about buying a ruby engagement ring?
When buying a ruby, one should consider six factors which I have listed below so they can determine the correct price and quality.
I called these as 4Cs + OT method.
- Color – It is defined three dimensionally – hue, tone, and saturation.
- Carat Weight
- Clarity – in terms of number of inclusions and transparency of the stone (opaque, translucent, or transparent).
- Cut Grade – In terms of how sparkle and light return the stone has.
- Origin – Where the ruby is from? Certain origins command a higher price.
- Treatment – What level of treatments ruby has gone through? The more treatment the cheaper it gets.
For high-quality rubies, we can verify a lot of these criteria based on reliable third-party certificates.
Most gem certificates will state the carat weight, color, origin, and treatment.
Though we highly recommend to please verify the color from a trustworthy jeweler, gem dealer, or gemologist. Only through the naked eye can we verify the three-dimensional color.
Examples of Ruby rings we have made in the past are provided below (provide images).
Ruby Engagement Ring Good Enough? Option One
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Custom made with 1.06 carat Burma Center Ruby, supported with 0.33 carat side diamonds in 18K Rose Gold.
Ruby Engagement Ring Good Enough? Option Two
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Custom made with a solitaire ruby ring set with GRS certified Vivid Red ‘Pigeon’s Blood’ 2.03 carats, Octagon shape Burma (Myanmar) Ruby center & 18K yellow gold!
Ruby Engagement Ring Good Enough? Option Three
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This gorgeous ruby & diamond engagement ring set with 1.25 carat Vivid Red Burmese (Myanmar) Ruby center, 0.51 carat round brilliant diamond sides, and 18K white & yellow gold!
Ruby Engagement Ring Good Enough? Option Three
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Custom made with GIA certified 2.43 carat Mozambique Ruby set in classical 18K Yellow Gold.
Ruby Engagement Ring Good Enough? Option Four
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Custom made with a 1 carat unheated & untreated Mozambique Ruby! It is Flower Swirl Design Ruby & Diamond Ring set in 18K White and Yellow gold!
Ruby Engagement Ring Good Enough? Option Five
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Custom made with very unique “Vivid Red” 1.19 carat Thai Ruby set with 0.46-carat side diamonds & 18K yellow gold!
Ruby Engagement Ring Good Enough? Option Six
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Custom made with GRS certified 1.12 carats center ruby, unheated & untreated, top pigeon-blood ‘vivid red’ color and is supported with 0.29 carats trillion side diamonds and 18K yellow gold!
Ruby Engagement Ring Good Enough? Option Seven
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This beautiful ruby engagement ring was custom-made around Valentine’s time. It is set with a beautiful 1 carat 100% natural (unheated) Mozambique center ruby ring supported with 0.37 carats pear shape side diamonds and set in 18K yellow gold.
Ruby Engagement Ring Option Eight – Man Version
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Men can also wear ruby engagement rings. “His” ring is set with 1.50 carats, Vivid Red Square Cushion Mozambique Ruby set in 18K White & Yellow Gold.
Ruby Engagement Ring Option Nine – Personal Version
This ring is the personal gift I gave to my lovely wife as she loved the ruby so much. The center ruby is unique ‘heart-shape’ 2.15 carat unheated & untreated ruby set with 0.48 carats side diamonds in 18K white gold.
What is our Custom Make Process?
- Provide us a design you would like to make.
- We will then forward you a ‘rough’ price quotation.
- Once the price is agreed upon we start the 3D CAD Design process – an example of what the CAD looks like is provided below.
- Once the design is approved we will custom-make the ring for you. The total time from start the finish usually takes 3 to 5 weeks.
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Thai Native Gems Gemstone Search & Custom Engagement Ring service (Best way to buy gemstones in Bangkok):
If you are in the market looking for the best gemstone and custom handmade engagement ring – Contact Us – and let us know what your budget is and what you are looking for.
From this initial information, we will swiftly find and email you gemstone options available in the market right now. Unlike other traditional or online dealers, I am not looking to sell you anything. We will provide you honest, frank, and objective opinion on what we think is best in the budget you offer.
This service is free, and there absolutely no commitment to buy any of our suggestions. The only thing you have to do is not respond to our email and you won’t hear from us again! So, you truly have nothing to lose!
How do we compile this gemstone list? Our search process is provided below:
1) We first will contact our local gemstone supply network and check if there are any stones that fit your requirement in Bangkok. We have over 50 contacts in Bangkok and will check ALL to make sure we can provide you with the best deal.
2) If not satisfied, we will then check online through our extensive global network sifting though we usually do this in last resort as we prefer seeing the gemstone in person to make sure the color is accurate and as described.
What type of engagement rings can you make and how are they made?
1) We usually set our engagement rings in 18k yellow or white gold or 950 platinum settings. Our rings are all hand-crafted and made by highly skilled Thai craftsmen.
Examples in some of the rings we made you can see on our YouTube channel and are shown below:
YouTube Channel PLAY LIST
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Contact us today to get all your wholesale gemstones, diamonds and jewelry needs. We can Source, Search and Supply anything you require.
What will you get if you contact us
- Start a conversation with us at FB.com/ThaiNativeGems/.
- Get wholesale and highly competitive prices of gemstones & diamonds from anywhere through our extensive network of contacts around the world.
- All stones sold by us is verified in house by our GIA Graduate Gemologist or certified.
- We provide personalized service and NOT the same old “One Size Fits All” Approach.
You can learn more by clicking here.