This is a stone so rare that I have never seen one like it in my eight years of buying here in Thailand. As a gemologist I am taught to be skeptical, but this gemstone taught me not to be.
As do nearly all of the very finest rubies, this stone hails from Burma. That is not only my opinion, but the opinion of Dr. A. Peretti, one of the world's most renowned gemologists who specializes in ruby and sapphire origin. The report that comes with this gemstone is issued by GRS- GemResearch Swisslab. If you are familiar with Sotheby's or Christie's jewelry auctions you will regularly see reports from GRS. To say that this report is unassailable is an understatement. Dr. Peretti's signature and his opinion hold an enormous amount of weight in the gemstone world.
You may have heard the expression that serves as a law in the colored gemstone world: "Color is King." It means that nothing trumps color. A stone that is included may still be extremely desirable. A stone that is asymmetrical might also be very highly valuable. If a stone is the "right" color, the value skyrockets. For a ruby, that color is "pigeon's blood". This term comes from (where else?) Burma. They have a saying that "Asking to see the blood of the pigeon is like asking to see the face of God." How is that for an expression of rarity? Color is King. Surely the Burmese stone traders got tired of foreigners showing up to buy ruby and asking for this color. They ask for it because they read it in a book somewhere, but they don't know what they are asking for and they wouldn't respect it if you showed it to them. Indeed, they wouldn't know it! It's literally that rare.
Another Burmese expression about ruby goes like this: "At a carat, there is a price. At a carat and a half, the price doubles. At two carats, there is no price." Truly fine ruby- especially Burmese ruby- is incredibly rare and it can't be replaced. Once this stone is gone, it is gone- and I might see one in another eight years or I might not ever see one again. These are stones that most dealers in Bangkok or Chanthaburi just don't have. Dealing in such extraordinarily rare stones takes a massive amount of capital. Most of these dealers have literally millions of carats of ruby in stock, but perhaps only one piece of pigeon's blood color over a carat- and most of the time not even one! When a dealer knows that a particular gemstone can not be replaced, how does he set his price? Of course it is much more than a stone that can be replaced at will.
When you learn to judge gemstones, you have to learn presence. You can know everything in the world about gemstone treatments and color, hue, tone, and saturation. You can be an expert in every physical property that a gemstone may possess, but unless you understand presence- the feeling that the stone creates as a whole- as a sum of all of the parts- you can not value gemstones accurately. Presence is what sets the price. Presence is what sells the stone. Presence is what stimulates desire and creates rarity. There are so many rubies that are beautiful. Beauty in and of itself does not create the ultimate of rarities, and even if Color is King, color alone does not create this rarity either. Presence is the brilliance, the color, the intensity- presence is the culmination of every value factor. You might call it "allure".
Maybe this will help to understand presence. Let's say you see a woman at a cocktail party who is tall, and has an hourglass figure, and she moves gracefully. Is she alluring? Well, not if she has a very nasally voice, buck teeth, and asks you to grab her a couple of beers- one for each fist. Now imagine the same tall woman, hourglass figure, lovely teeth, a voice like a bird singing, a form-fitting black dress, same graceful motion, and big bold green eyes that melt as soon as she sees you. That's presence. It is everything in one package.
This ruby is 1.64 carats and intensely saturated red. The independent report from GRS serves to assure you that my assessment of the color is accurate as Dr. Peretti and I agree. It will also be an important part of the documentation that your insurance company will require to cover this stone. Because GRS is independent and has a solid global reputation the report takes a lot of the guesswork out of obtaining a stone like this and it reduces the risk drastically.
This stone might end up in a ring, or a pendant, or it may just live much of the time in your safe. This is a polarizing issue. Gemstone collectors are adamant that they enjoy gemstones just as much as people who wear them in jewelry, and generally jewelry connoisseurs scoff at this notion. The choice is yours of course.
There are not many things in life that are so rewarding to possess as a fine gemstone. It takes a certain type of person to appreciate gemstones, and by and large these are people who appreciate greatness for its sake alone. They might not have a love of baseball but they know that the New York Yankees are special. They might not be a boxing fan, but they understand and respect the honor and the presence of a world champion heavyweight. They know that it's just a baseball team, just a fighter, and just a gemstone- but they also can grasp the full weight of what
else it is.
I have many clients from many different countries who appreciate fine gemstones. They come from different industries, different backgrounds, and different perspectives but they all seem to enjoy the lifestyle that their ambition has earned them and they all love the allure of a very special stone.
Let's start this auction at 2,000BTC. I reserve the right to withdraw this auction if the price of bitcoin fluctuates more than 10%. This is a seven day auction. Please consult with a competent attorney regarding the legality of importing this gemstone into your home country. It is the buyer's responsibility to comply with all laws and to pay any import duties or tariffs that may be incurred. The purchase price does not include shipping or insurance. We are experienced in shipping high-value items and will be happy to assist you in order to protect your interests.
If you have any questions about this fine ruby please contact me directly at
dave@tiptopgem.com. Note that I also have access to many rubies and sapphires both in my stock and through other wholesalers and I can assure you the best value in any ruby or sapphire purchase.
Please visit Tip Top Gem to learn more about us. You might enjoy the galleries on the site:
http://thegemvault.tiptopgem.com/Thank you for reading!
David Fortier, GG (GIA)
Owner
Tip Top Gem
