Category: rare gemstones

Rubellite Tourmaline Ring

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Just what lengths would Heritage Gems go to, to ensure your piece of bespoke jewellery is truly fine quality? No matter big or small, our aim is to provide the best quality for your dollar.

Featured below is a small rubellite ring. Though small, it is of exceptional colour and extremely eye-clean – i.e.: fine quality. For those who are unaware, rubellite tourmaline is generally heavily included. About as heavily included as emeralds.

This piece however, is 100% eye-clean.

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Nice colours for Rubellites should include the raspberry overtones, making it special and differentiating it from the mainstream pink tourmaline. As seen in the above photo, this piece has a captivating raspberry hue. “Raspberry” colour has indicated by Pantone.

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Commercial Quality Rubellite Tourmaline

 

Above is an example of commercial quality Rubellite Tourmaline. Colour and lustre is not quite spectacular and also notice the large inclusion across the middle of the gemstone.

 

Beautiful Unheated blue sapphires are rarer than you think

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Colour-matching service is exclusive only for our special VIP clients.

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Our client had informed us he was looking for a unheated sapphire ring to match his wife’s existing earrings. Colour matching in 100% natural unheated gemstones is extremely difficult, especially when sourced at different times. Simply because no two natural colours are the same. Similarly, no twins are exactly the same, – there’s always a slight difference.

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This ring is special in its colour. 100% eye-clean, this 2.12ct sapphire is almost electric blue under natural gentle morning sun. One of our most remarkable pieces by far. Unheated, of course.

Our client has a keen eye for fine quality gems. His “budget” allowed for even dark, royal blue sapphires. However, he simply insisted on a medium, almost electric-blue sapphire ring for his wife, to match her existing earrings. We needed some time.

After much sourcing and hunting, we found this that thankfully met his requirements.

When you need to propose with a gem possibly rarer than diamonds…

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Why propose with a boring colourless diamond when you can mark that special occasion with a gem that is possibly more rare than a diamond?

Frankly, is one diamond that is D colour, IF clarity that much different from another D colour, IF clarity? At most jewellers, you would have at least 2 of the same “D, IF” quality to choose from. Main difference is possibly only in size/shape.

True to Heritage Gems quality, this piece features a 5.04ct unheated blue sapphire. Our client wanted to propose with no less than an unheated blue sapphire. He found his answer with us. After some deliberation on the choice of sapphire and design, our client decided that the sapphire he had chosen was stunning on its own. Hence, he picked a timeless and elegant design, as seen below.

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In a nice deep royal blue with such stunning lustre, set in 18K white gold, flanked by icy-white diamonds that is eye-catching even from a distance.

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Fine Quality Unheated Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring

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Blue Sapphire Engagement Rings are fast gaining popularity, especially since Kate Middleton was proposed to with one.

Requesting for a blue sapphire sounds relatively simple enough. And how hard can it be to customise that special, ideal engagement ring? But there are actually several considerations to be thought through before settling on that ideal piece.

  • Shade of blue: Light blue? Medium Blue? Deep? Inky Blue? Royal Blue?
  • Fine quality should be evenly-toned and well-saturated colour.
  • When viewing the loose gem, pay attention that as the gem is tilted/rocked from side-to-side, that there is colour throughout the entire gem. Commercial quality sapphires tend to have colour-banding/colour-zones whereby certain parts of the gem are colourless.
  • Why are sapphires with colour-bands/colour-zones considered commercial quality? It is common for sapphires to exhibit these streaks of blue, due to the way the rock is formed. While this does not affect the integrity of the gem, it certainly does not enhance the aesthetic beauty of the gem. Hence, a market premium is paid for well-saturated and evenly coloured gems.
  • Unheat or Heat?: Again, this is entirely a matter of personal preference. However, heated sapphires are easily found and beautiful heated sapphires are plenty abound. So, if one is able to chance upon a aesthetically beautiful gem that is 100% untreated and unheated, it would add to the value of the gem. 
  • What is your choice of metal?
  • What style of ring? What sort of design? This will affect budget too.

Featured below is a custom-made, eye-catching medium-blue unheated sapphire ring set in 950 pure platinum, with E-F diamonds. Notice how the sapphire seems to glow from within! Very good lustre and brilliancy, evenly-toned with a strong medium blue hue. This eye-catching piece is a stunner even without the aid of direct light source.

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*Photo above taken indoors with incandescent light.

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All photos and videos have been taken under natural daylight (unless otherwise specified). No filters or artificial photoshop or enhancement done to the photos and videos.

RARE Rubellite Tourmaline Ring

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The Rubellite Tourmaline is a special kind of Tourmaline that has that characteristic raspberry hue. It is uncommon for a Rubellite Tourmaline to be eye-clean. Similar to Emeralds, Rubellite Tourmaline is classified by GIA as a Type III gemstone – meaning that it is generally accepted that these gemstones have many natural inclusions. Hence, if a Type III gemstone is eye-clean, it is a fine quality material which would naturally be accompanied by a larger price tag.

 

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Photo taken in natural daylight

This featured Rubellite cocktail ring is a stunning 8.31ct, 100% eye-clean Rubellite, which is absolutely RARE. Surrounded by 2 cts natural untreated accent diamonds, set in solid 18K white gold, it makes for a stunning piece to wear for that special occasion. This is a statement piece that will definitely get you compliments.

Price: SGD9,800 only

Pick up that special X’mas gift now

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When colourless is boring

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***Pls note that the jewellery featured in this particular post is not by Heritage Gems. 

Coloured gemstone engagement rings have long been used among royalty and Old Money as a profession of their love for each other.

Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor with a stunning 19.77ct emerald engagement ring. Truly a gem piece:

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Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon with her Ruby engagement ring surrounded by diamonds

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In more current times, royalty engagement such as Princess Diana’s 18ct stunning blue sapphire ring to which Kate Middleton was subsequently proposed to by Prince William are definitely redefining engagement ring traditions.

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Stunning blue sapphire engagement ring – If it’s good enough for Prince William and Kate Middleton, I’m sure it would be good enough for any of us.

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Princess Mathilde of Belgium’s beautiful oval ruby engagement ring

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Marie-Chantal of Greece’s Cabochon Sapphire engagement ring

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Fergie’s Oval Ruby engagement ring

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Jacqueline Onassis’s emerald engagement ring

And in even more recent times, amongst Hollywood celebs, coloured gemstones engagement rings have become popular

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Halle Berry’s 4ct emerald engagement ring. Beautiful and unique – estimated to be worth USD200,000.

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Elizabeth Hurley elegant and classic emerald shape blue sapphire stunner. As mentioned in a previous post, fancy cut side diamonds (regardless of shape) always command a premium than round brilliant side diamonds/setting size diamonds.

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Jessica’s ruby engagement ring, again, with fancy cut side diamonds.

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Nicole Richie’s Pink Sapphire engagement ring – a colour for the little girls inside every one of us.

Contrary to mainstream opinion, coloured gem engagement rings is only for the privileged few. Fine quality precious gemstones are rare and not easily available. If one has a specific colour/shade/hue in mind, the waitlist to lay your hands on an ideal gem could be several months, sometimes close to a year. If your jeweller is actively searching the market for you, it may take a slightly shorter timeframe.

Nonetheless, buying that ideal precious gem is not something that you can pick off a chart with the corresponding colour grading, clarity grading as you would a diamond.

Dainty Ruby Ring

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The daintiest ring just newly crafted with a pretty little ruby sitting atop. This ring is most fitting of its owner, a young lady with a good eye for colour. She knows a good gem when she sees one. Not wanting something too ostentatious, suitable for daily and semi-formal occasions yet a fine quality gemstone, the final outcome of this is a pretty piece of art.

An eye-clean ruby, unheated with such lustre and brilliance is a rare sight – even more rare than sourcing for an unheat fine quality sapphire. More often than not, unheated rubies coming out of current mines either lack clarity (not eye-clean) or lacks lustre or both. Further, less than 5% of rubies available in the market are unheated rubies.

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1.8ct Ruby ring in a hot pink-red colour

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Unheated Blue Sapphires

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In a follow-up post to the beauty of unheated yet beautiful gemstones, though they are difficult to find, at Heritage Gems, it is possible.

Below are just some examples of fine quality unheated blue sapphires

4.68ctBS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.68ct unheated medium blue sapphire

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2.34ct unheated vivid blue sapphire

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4.06ct unheated medium-deep blue unheated sapphire

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5.92ct unheated medium-deep blue unheated sapphire

For fine quality sapphires under 3cts, prices can range anywhere from SGD4,000 – SGD5,900 per carat. 3-5cts, prices range from SGD6,000 – SGD7,900 per carat. For sizes above 5cts, prices start from SGD8,000 per carat. These are current prices as of September 2013.

In-house criteria for fine quality blue sapphires:

  • eye-clean/clarity
  • consistent colour throughout gemstone (no colour zoning, colour shades)
  • well-cut (no window and no extinction areas)
  • with lustre and brilliance
  • unheated

Due to tight supply of fine quality sapphires, prices will unlikely come off anytime soon.

Heat or Unheat

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In recent years, supply of medium to fine quality rubies have dwindled to almost a standstill. When we say medium quality, the bare minimum standards that the gemstone must meet are at least:

  • Eye-clean
  • Good Lustre
  • even colour, especially when viewed top-down (looking down at the table/face of the gem)

Last but not least, the all-important factor, and deal-breaker: whether the gem is heated or not. Please note that some jewellers may tell you that a gem is natural. This does not mean that the gem is unheated. To them, “natural” means that there is no external material being introduced into the gemstone. However, the fact remains that heating of gemstones is a process carried out to enhance the colour of the gem, without which, the original colour of the stone will look lacklustre or less vivid or less intense.

A good example as below:

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2.1ct unheat ruby                       

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2.35ct heated ruby

Heat treatment is typically used to enhance colours of a gem and may also be used to improve clarity of the gem. As such, most aesthetically beautiful gemstones commonly seen in jewellery shops are have been heated.

Why we disclose to clients if a gem has been heated or not heated: simply because heated gemstones command a different price to unheated gemstones. Also, unheated and beautiful gemstones appreciate in value the quickest and hold their value the longest. Without a doubt, if money is no issue, beautiful unheated gems are the way to go.

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2.03ct unheat blue sapphire

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3.5ct heated blue sapphire

In this case then, does this mean that all unheated gemstones are not as gorgeous and beautiful as heated gemstones? No, this is where our specialty lies. Our clients come to us to source for unheated, yet beautiful gemstones.

Approximately 85% of all gemstones available in the market are heated. Of the remaining 15% that is unheated, possibly only 35% – 40% of these are aesthetically beautiful. Naturally, a premium is paid for unheated, yet gorgeous gemstones.