Enhancing Color of the Vibrant Ruby Stone: A Know-How of Various Treatments
Rubies are one of the most popular gemstones, valued for their impressive, bold color. Ruby belongs to the Corrundum family, along with yellow and blue sapphires. This deep red stone is formed in metamorphic rocks. The mining of the gemstone is difficult. Extracting the stones requires intense labor and time as tunnels are built directly into the rock. The mining process involves primitive alluvial mining and open pit mining.
After the ruby stone is extracted from mines and further treated to enhance its beauty, the mesmerizing red hue of the gemstone is the determining factor that helps the stone get its name.
Extracting rubies: Stream sediment is the technique used to extract rubies. The rocks containing rubies are transported from one location to another. Weathering destroys these rocks. A high-pressure stream washes the gravel the denser stones remain on the location. These ruby stones are picked by hand. These stones contain inclusions and are yet to go through various processes to showcase the beauty they are known for.
Hence, to enhance its color, the stone is given various treatments.
This blog entails a few of these treatments.
Heat Treatment: The color and clarity of gemstone are a few factors that help in adding to its value. Heat treatment is one process that improves the clarity and color of rubies. The intense and rich color of rubies is a result of heat treatment. The process involves ruby stone heated under specific and controlled conditions. This method dissolves and removes inclusions inside the stone. Thus, minute cracks within the stone get fixed, giving it a fine clarity. Heat treatment is stable, and the effects don't disappear with regular stone wear.
Fracture Filling: Gemstones often have less clarity, and this treatment is often used to enhance it. Fracture-filling with colored lead glass improves the clarity of the gemstone. In another process, the cavities are heat treated and filled with flux. This method helps maintain the durability of the stone. Fracture filling helps in the smooth transmission of light from the stone. The presence of fractures and cracks inside the stone blocks the light passing through it, and hence the ruby stone loses its brightness and luster.
The processes mentioned above are just a few of the treatments prominently used to enhance the color and clarity of the stone. Rubies are the favorites of all colored stones owing to their durability or the rich color. Since ancient times, these stones have been adorned as royal jewelry. These gemstones are the wonders of nature, and the process involved in extracting them and defining their beauty takes a lot of time and effort.
Ruby mines are found in Myanmar (famous for the exclusive Burmese rubies), Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal, India and Mozambique. The Burmese and Pigeon blood rubies are the most sought-after gems valued for their rich color and durability. It is estimated that the treated rubies have flourished in the market owing to their better color, making the ruby stone one of the favorites of gem collectors.