Ruby Bracelets

What to look for along the line

• Even red. Brown and orange undertones that pass unnoticed in a single stone stand out beside cleaner reds. Look at the bracelet as a whole.
• Even tone. One pale or one dark stone breaks the line more than a slight difference in hue.
• Even size and cut, or some stones will flash while others sit flat as the bracelet moves.

Pigeon blood remains the reference red, and more intense, consistent color increases value. Matching many rubies to that standard is what separates the price of two bracelets of the same weight.

The treatment question on multi-stone ruby pieces

Pieces with many small rubies are where the wider market's lowest grade material turns up most often.

Lead-glass filled ruby, heavily fractured stone made to look clean by filling it with glass, is common in inexpensive ruby bracelets sold elsewhere. It is worth a fraction of standard ruby and can be damaged by an ordinary repair or even household chemicals.

We do not describe glass-filled material as ruby without saying so. A lot of rubies are heated, which is permanent and accepted. our buying focus is unheated stones, and treatment is disclosed on every piece.

Wearing a ruby bracelet

Ruby is 9 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamond, so it handles the knocks a wrist takes better than almost any other colored stone.

• The clasp matters more than the stones. A bracelet has no anchor point, so a secure clasp with a safety catch is what keeps it on your wrist.
• Sizing should allow movement without letting the bracelet slide over the hand.
• Have the settings checked periodically if you wear it daily.