hen looking at the ruby jewellery for sale in your local jewellery store, it is more than likely these beautiful gems have been enhanced in some way. You often find that rubies in their natural state are not as appealing as ones that have been enhanced, which is why gem dealers and jewellery designers will opt for treated gemstones. There are a few ways to enhance rubies, and the most common ones are listed below, so you understand what you are buying when you purchase ruby jewellery.
Heat Treatment
Out of all the ruby enhancements you can do, the most common one found is heat treatment, which helps enhance the gem’s colours. The rubies will be heated up to high temperatures, the temperature depends on what they are trying to achieve, and sometimes flux is added. The high temperatures can change the gem at a microscopic level and improve the colour of the ruby and the clarity. When these characteristics have been improved, they can often sell the gemstone for much more money, which is the primary reason why it is done. However, it can also strengthen the gem and make it more durable and stronger.
Fracture Filling
Many gemstones, including rubies, will often have imperfections and internal fractures in them, which will affect the way they interact with light. It will also mean that they are less valuable, so it is common for these fractures to be filled. The way they fill the fractures is by using coloured lead glass to fill the fracture. Doing this can help reduce the visibility of the fracture and improve the clarity of the gemstone. They can also be heated with flux, and this material will fall into the fracture and help fill it up, and out of these two methods, this one is the preferred one.
Beryllium Diffusion
One of the lesser common methods of enhancing rubies is using beryllium diffusion. The method is often a last resort when other enhancing methods have failed to achieve the desired effect. The ruby is heated to a high temperature, and beryllium is added, which can improve the colour of the gem. However, the colour will not pass through the entire gemstone, and if you were to cut it open, the centre would be the same colour as before you started the enhancement. Whichever way your ruby has been enhanced, the jewellery store that sells it to you should offer full disclosure before you purchase it.
