I bought a “Star ruby” at a rock show this year. It is’nt really red
more purple. So I wonder, where is the line between Sapphire and
ruby? They are both corundum… can someone help me with this
conundrum:) And them how would I go about figuring a price? I paid
$3.00 for an appx .2ct stone. It is definatly a real star not a
linde.
I also cut a rose quartz (from cal I think, very lavender), has 7
seperate stars…which I feel I can charge more for as it is unique.
To be practical I will respond from the practice of the gem trade. If
you ask a dealer for a star ruby you will be shown a red, pinkish, or
purplish stone. If you ask for a blue star sapphire, you can be shown
from a blue to a grey colored stone. The star rose quartz has a six
rayed star which should be able to be viewed on two opposite sides of
the material. The best pieces I have seen are spheres. The round
shape
shows off the star to greatest advantage. When you say it has seven
stars, all I can imagine is included material that is breaking up the
rays. to appear that way. There are only two points on a star rose
quartz where there is a center with six rays radiating from a center
point.
I have always found the line drawn between star ruby/star sapphire
to be much more fluid than in the case of ruby/sapphire. I have seen
many purplish star stones called star ruby. Technically it needs to
be red, but I think from the standpoint of practicality the line is
often drawn all over the place on asteriated stones.
Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC
1780 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140