Gamer you are right; I could never get tired of learning about gemstones. It is such a vast topic, and it is full of beauty, intrigue, international trade and different cultures, physics, geology and geography- the list goes on and on.
BigPiggy you are on to something. There is a big, big difference in how I describe the treatment of this stone and how they describe theirs- but it is not what you think. Mine is heated and flux-healed, which is true of virtually all ruby from Mong Hsu mining area. When I say virtually all, I mean 99.999%. I see that they claim that theirs are only heated. That is a little bit worrisome. Now it may be possible- don't get me wrong. But I think the likelihood that they are only heated is very remote. I think if you were to buy one of their stones and put it under the microscope, you would see inclusions like this:
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fs17.postimage.org%2Fgxr45jxhb%2Ffigure_6.jpg&t=665&c=2kkPp9dUxFdOOg)
Those sticky, drippy inclusions are a sure sign that it is flux-healed. I wonder if you emailed them and asked- "What treatment does X ruby have?" if they would say it is heated and flux-healed. The majority of gemstone dealers do not disclose this treatment. They think that the public "wouldn't understand." But the fact is, people do understand if you take the time to explain that the treatment has withstood the test of time, is stable, and accounts for the majority of all Burmese ruby. Curiously enough, right now a major department store chain is being sued for selling ruby without disclosing treatment. They sold a very, VERY different treatment- lead-glass filling- as natural "heated" ruby. That is not only a moral lapse, but a very big issue since lead-glass filled ruby can not see a torch or an ultrasonic cleaner. When these people took their ring in to have a prong re-tipped and it was hit with a jeweler's torch, the glass filling melted and ran out. When someone took in a ring to have it cleaned, the lead glass nearly disintegrated, leaving deep valleys in the stone.
I would be very skeptical of anyone who is selling Burmese ruby these days and not disclosing the flux-healing. Price is often a clue, but it is no more than a clue. If this particular pear-shaped 1.64 carat ruby was unheated, it would bring over $100,000. This is if all else is equal- color, brilliance, shape- but an unheated Burmese stone. Now if it was glass-filled, it would bring about $100-$200 at retail. And with flux-healing, as priced- $10,600. I hope that puts treatments into perspective a bit. Also if you are eager to learn more about flux-healing, please take a look at this superb article by Richard Hughes. Dick was talking about flux-healing when nobody in the trade wanted to talk about it! But he was a pioneer in getting the word out that this is a solid treatment that should not be feared:
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/flux_healing_mong_hsu_ruby.htmBy the way, if you are a purist and must have an unheated stone- look seriously at African unheated ruby. There are some truly beautiful gemstones coming out of Tanzania and Mozambique that are just gorgeous and are far more affordable than Burmese unheated stones. Or Burmese flux-healed stones for that matter!