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Ruby vs Garnet

dewcon

Quality Control Expert
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Messages
8,373
Location
Gulf, Florida
Does anyone know how to tell the difference between a Ruby and Garnet? Will both test like a diamond with a diamond tester? Ive got one that does...... it makes a tester sing. BUT...... its in a 10K 5.6 gram nugget style ring. Which doesnt seem likely.
 
Here's a link that may help.

https://www.leibish.com/ruby-vs-garnet-article-1305

Looks like the easiest way is to

"Holding up a garnet to the light can assist you in determining whether or not you are looking at a garnet or a ruby. If the light reflects a rainbow of colors including bands of yellow and green, the odds are you are looking at a garnet. This is because a ruby’s makeup is such that it absorbs yellow and green and will not reflect them in that way."
 
Does anyone know how to tell the difference between a Ruby and Garnet? Will both test like a diamond with a diamond tester? Ive got one that does...... it makes a tester sing. BUT...... its in a 10K 5.6 gram nugget style ring. Which doesnt seem likely.

I’ve learned that a natural Rudy will floreses under UV light such as a black light. Found a lg ruby ring myself last year and this was a good help in determining if it was ruby, garnet or a lab created ruby.
 
Thanks. It about blinded me looking at the sun. No color.....just red with maybe a little pink.
 
I use a known ruby (blue sapphire). to calibrate my diamond tester. I adjust the settings for just under a diamond reading (9 lights on for my tester with 10 lights for diamond). Corundum (rubys and sapphires) are the second hardest natural gemstones behind diamonds. Garnets are noticeably lower on the scale. I think man-made rubys would register the same as natural rubys using this method.
 
Dew,

Is this an old ring? Large stone, man's ring? I was told by a jeweler that there is no real rubies in man's rings with large stones. They just didn't do that. All are synthetic.

The only real ruby I ever found was a man's nugget ring with 7 diamonds and a ruby in it.

 
Garnets are slightly magnetic, I think you would have to take the garnet out of it's setting to check though. A neodymium magnet should do the trick..
 
Garnets are slightly magnetic, I think you would have to take the garnet out of it's setting to check though. A neodymium magnet should do the trick..

Yep.
If you place the stone on a Styrofoam raft in a bowl of water and bring the Neo magnet near, you can see the magnetic effect more easily too.


The best way is to check the stone on a refractometer, but that entails removing the stone from its setting.



.
 
Heres the picture. It was really down there deep..... so i have know idea if its old just because we have had soooo much sand.

Thanks all for good suggestions.
 

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Look closely under magnification at the interior of the stone for inclusions, tiny bubbles, fracture planes, or anything that would indicate it is a natural stone. Synthetics and glass are almost always flawless or nearly so.


.
 
As a jeweler and gemologist my guess would be a flame flux synthetic
They have been produced before 1900's to today used in most large Mens and ladies rings , easy to have a jeweler help you verify
very nice find congrats
 
Well i do know its not glass.... no chips anywhere and a diamond tester wont sing with glass. Thanks Airflyer..... ill run it to a local jewelry store here and have um take a look.
 
Dew I have no good answer. I have a ruby my diamond tester hits good on almost diamond. It only goes up that high for diamonds and this ruby. I brought to a jeweler and he said “fake”, they never put real stones in 10k anything. Dude wanted the ring for the gold. I’d be interested if you can find a valid way to confirm if it’s a ruby. -Joe
 
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