There is an interesting thing about ruby men's rings, this gem along with red garnet are probably the only two red gems that men do not mind wearing in their jewelry. In general you will find that red and pink are colors, that are rarely included in the attire of men. Rubies and sapphires come from the same mineral family namely, corrundum. Though men's ruby gemstone rings are commonly ordered 14k or 18k gold, technically you can request for a silver ruby mens ring too. Rubies are not cheap and men's rings are normally not made with tiny gems, you can therefore presume that a ruby gem stone ring will not be cheap by any standards. Having said that, it becomes all the more necessary to understand all desirable features in a good men's ruby stone ring. In this report, we will keep aside sales hype and jump directly into important issues related to this ring. One of the reasons why people wear gem stone jewelry is because, of some special belief or tradition attached to the gemstone. Birthstone rings are very popular because of the long believed tradition that wearing a birthstone jewel brings good luck to a person. A birth stone is also believed to keep away bad luck and influences. A mens ruby ring would also make a July Birthstone jewel, this is because Rubies are the birthstone for the month of july.
Origin of rubies: Much of the gem quality ruby gemstone that is mined each here comes from Burma. A mens ruby ring could have a gem stone from Burma if your budget supports the price tag. If you look at the current output of Burmese rubies today you will find that, the quality for the price (per carat) paid has consistently deteriorated. This does not mean that Burmese rubies will disappear from the markets soon. What it does mean is that, you might not like the quality of a Burmese gem stone because of it's ordinary looks. While miners do occassionally come across fine Burmese rubies in small pockets, budgeting for such fine rubies can be quite stressfull for any buyer as, the prices will surely be quite high. Your mens ruby gem stone ring could also have a ruby stone from Mozambique. We would suggest that you give more attention to the appearance and genuiness of the ruby gemstone, it might not be worth paying premium prices for rubies just because of their origin.
Treating rubies: This is a very common occurence with most gems but, very little knowledge and information regarding the treatment processes seeps down to the buyer. The treatment used for the gem in a men's ruby ring will influence the value, appearance and durability of the jewel. Though most jewelers do not care to inform buyers about gem treatments, it is in your interest that you gain as much information and knowledge as you can on this issue. Gems are treated to make them more beautiful, this is done by enhancing clarity and color. It is more than 4 to 5 decades now that, rubies have been heat treated. The process increases the clarity and betters the color of the gem. This is a very common process an deven gem experts have come to accept such treatment. For our discussion we will refer to such a treatment as a 'conventional' heat treatment. It is quite fair to presume that, the gem in your mens ruby gemstone ring will be (at least) heat treated.
Experiments in gem treatments are continously developed by gem manufacturers. The objective of this continued research is two fold. Gem manufacturers try to increase the beauty of the gemstone even more, they hope to find something better than the conventional heat treatment. The second objective is quite interesting, great effort is put in to be able to treat lower grade rubies to look gorgeous! For example if you had a rough ruby piece that was heavily filled with fissures (fine cracks inside the stone), a conventional heat process could not do much by way of taking away the fissures. A new method was developed to handle this problem, the point is that if the stone in your gold or 925 silver mens ruby ring is treated by the new way, it is the duty of the jeweler to inform you regarding the treatment. The new process also relies on heat but adds a twist to the procedure, it uses a flux material like borax to 'heal' the cracks or fissures in the ruby. We will refer to rubies that are put through such a treatment as 'flux' healed rubies. The flux when heated acts to reduce the melting point of the ruby, the molten ruby then flows into the fissures and hardens on cooling. Such a gem stone can be used for your mens ruby gemstone ring as long as, you are informed of it's usage. It might not be easy to differentiate between flux heated and conventionally heated rubies with the naked eye but, detailed lab test can spot the differences. Flux heat treatment does not reduce the durability of the gem and such rubies should be cheaper as compared, to conventionally heat treated stones.
Still on the topic of gem treatments for the stone in a mens ruby gold or 925 silver ring, we will discuss a ruby treatment process that needs to be thoroughly understood. It is a classic example of how 'good' looks can be deceptive. If you had to put it in simple terms you could call it the 'glass filling' treatment. Gem sellers have coined a more complex and confusing name for such rubies, they are called 'fissure filled' rubies. A better name would be 'glass filled' rubies. Extremely low grade rubies that are almost opaque and filled with cracks and fissures are put through the 'glass filling' process. The low grade rubies are washed in an acidic solution to clean them, the acid also brings some porosity to the rough stone. In the next stage, the washed rubies along with some silica based salts are put into a furnace and heated to high temperatures. The silica forms into glass and fills the cracks in the ruby. Cutting and polishing this glass filled ruby will give you a 'stunning' ruby ! The price will be drastically low but, unfortunately with a highly reduced durability. Beware of such gems in your ruby men's gemstone ring, the stone should not be more than 10 U.S$ to 20 U.S$ in retail. Also remember that the stone will be very much weaker as compared to a conventionally heated or flux heated ruby. Such rubies should rightly be called composite stones because, they are a combination of glass and ruby. Glass filled rubies also need special care when being worn or cleaned, your jeweler should guide you on this. We do not recommend glass filled rubies for mens gemstone rings but, can use such a gem if you request for one.
Ruby size. Almost 75% of mens gem stone rings would use a gem stone that is 8mm or larger. When you talk about a mens ruby gem stone ring the gem size becomes an important factor in determining the price of the ring. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds and tanzanite surely fall in the 'expensive' gem category. This is presuming that they are natural, no treatment gimmicks applied and are of a medium to good quality range. Depending on the design of your men's ruby gold or silver ring, you would need a round, oval, square, rectangular or octogonal shaped ruby stone. Moderately priced ruby gems would be in the round 7mm or less, square 7mm or less, oval 9x7mm oval or less and octogonal 8x6mm size category. If your ruby men's gemstone ring goes beyond these sizes, the gem would be considered to be 'big' and come with a premium price tag. We are talking about rubies that are conventionally heated or flux (borax) heated NOT the glass filled variety. You can use this information to choose the design concept for your men's ruby gem ring, the design would influence the gem size and shape.
Metal choice. One interesting fact about mens plain and gem stone rings is that, the trend towards silver rings is clear and consistent. Even though most mens ruby gemstone rings are produced in 14k or 18k gold, you can find a custom jewelry provider who can make a ring for you in sterling silver. If you are going for a mens gold ruby gemstone ring, keep in mind that a 14k ring would be stronger as the metal is harder than 18k gold. Making a choice between a yellow or white gold mens gem stone ring can be based on your personal preference. This is because both gold colors are equally hard when checked within the same gold karatage. If you are thinking of getting a sterling silver ruby mens ring, it is advisable to keep it unplated. Rhodium, gold or even platinum plating on silver rings make them appear gorgeous but, all plating on silver jewelry will wear off. At that point of time the plating wears off in patches and makes the ring look quite lousy and shabby. Your 925 silver mens ruby gem stone ring can be safely polished with recommended anti-tarnish lotions that are available to clean silver jewelry.
Design and construction. The design of a mens ruby stone ring has more to do than just make your ring look good. The type of gem mount for the ring would be influenced by the design. Prong settings require lower gold weight but, have their share of disadvantages. A gem set with prongs can loosen and even fall off the jewel. Prongs tend to stick in pockets and other fabrics, this causes them to get pulled and gradually open up. On the other hand, a mens ruby gem where the entire border of the stone is covered with metal is bound to make the ring sturdier and longlasting. The design will decide dimensions of the ring, this should be done keeping the available metal weight (discussed below) in mind.
Metal weight. There was a time when jewelers made mens rings with high metal content. At that point, design and craftsmanship took a back seat. Clumsy lumps of gold or silver were hastily set with stones and pushed as mens rings. Kaisilver changed that trend and proved that style and durability can be common to both mens and ladies rings. Today we are at another phase where jewelers push to make mens rings with low metal weight. High gold prices mean high price tags, this limits market share. While lower gold weight will allow lower price points, it comes at a heavy longterm cost to the buyer. Lightweight jewels can bend or deform easily, they also cannot allocate sufficient metal weight for sturdy stone mounting. There is no fixed standard of what constitutes 'sufficient' or 'healthy' metal weight for a mens ruby gemstone ring. The weight required would be decided by the dimensions of the ring and the ring size too. However it is quite safe to say that, you should look very closely at mens rings that weigh less than 20 grams. At Kaisilver each jewel is fully custom made, this allows us to provide metal weight that is specifically needed for a particular jewel.
Ring durability. We all buy jewelry to wear them, jewelry needs to be stored and also cleaned during it's lifetime. The durability of a mens ruby ring will depend on many factors and not just the gem stone. The design, metal weight, gem mounting and even the properties of the stone will have an impact on durability. Rubies (not glass filled rubies) have an excellent hardness rating, 9 out of 10. The stone can be washed in water, mild soap and even cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner. It is a good idea to keep away your jewelry from physical impact, this applies to ALL jewelry and not just a ruby mens ring. If your ruby gem stone ring uses a prong type of setting, make sure that the prongs do not get caught and pulled in clothes, towels, bedsheets or other places. You might have to occassionally take your to the jewellers to make sure that the prongs have not loosened. A dropped and lost ruby gem can often be an expensive repair proposition, this is why we do not recommend prong settings for mens rings. The durability of your mens ruby silver or gold ring will also depend on the quality of craftsmanship provided for the jewel. An inexperienced craftsman can ruin a gorgeous design, a high grade gemstone even when a handsome metal weight is provided for the jewel.
Caring and cleaning. Sinces rubies are basically sturdy they need no special attention. Most ruby rings can be cleaned with commercially available jewelry cleaning solutions or fabrics. Clean water with a small amount of mild detergent can be used to soak the ring for a few minutes. You can also use a soft tootbrush to take off any dust or dirt that has settled below the gemstone. Ultrasonic cleaners can be used to rinse your mens ruby ring, just make sure that the ring does not contain a glass filled ruby. Moderate care is required for all jewelry, make sure that the ring is not struck by physical impact. When you take off your mens ruby ring and store it, use a jewelry box that has a separate compartment for each jewel. Bunching jewels together will cause them to hit or rub against each other so store them separately, this is a good practice for all jewelry. If you use a lotion or solution to clean your mens ruby gem stone ring, make sure that you rinse the ring in clean water to wash away any residual chemicals that might remain stuck to the metal or gem stone.
Craftsmanship. If you choose a readymade mens ruby gem stone ring, there is not much that you can do or demand regarding the quality of craftsmanship. Mass production processes used to produce readymade jewels rely more on machines than on the skill and talent of craftsmen and artisans. Expensive jewels like ruby rings, need to showcase the talent of craftsmen and not trained machine operators. A custom men's ring should take care of every single preference that the buyer might have. Complete attention needs to be provided even for the smallest detail. You might have an award winnig design, backed by a hefty gold weight and include a stunning ruby stone - all this would be in vain if the craftsman who produces the jewel lacks genuine expertise. Every mens ruby ring made at Kaisilver is handled by some of the finest craftsmen and artisans. Skilled gem cutters custom cut each gem to precisely fit the casting crafted for the jewel. Production speed might not match that of a mechanized production line but, there really are no short cuts to produce highend jewels.
Other red gems. Though ruby gems are probably the most popular red stones, your color choice for a red gem stone ring need not be limited to ruby alone. We say this for a very important reason, so do spend some time reading the details. Many jewelery buyers wish to have a red gem stone ring, but are not particular about which red gem is used. If this is a situation that applies to you, then make sure that you consider other red gemstone ring options too. Red garnet or even red spinel is one such choice. Deep red garnets can be found in eye clean quality even in sizes that are 5 to 7 carats. These will cost much less as compared to ruby gems. Spinels might not be as cheap as rubies but, the price would be much cheaper than rubies with similar color and clarity.
The above report on mens ruby gem stone rings has more utility than the report title would suggest. You can apply the information to almost all mens gemstone rings. At the same time, the ruby related notes in the report will be very useful if you are considering getting any jewel with ruby gemstone. While most jewelry buyers find it hard to get such clear and detailed information, the fact is that almost every gem and jewelry will be aware of the information. The urge to make quick money by pushing jewelry on uninformed buyers is what makes them keep the information away from jewelry lovers.
Below are some suggestions for your mens ruby gemstone ring. Remember that there is no limitation on ring design, ring size, metal or gem stone on any Kaisilver jewel. If you some specific design that you would like custom made, email us at sales@kaisilver.com along with the image or sketch. Also mention the approximate ring size (if known) and your choice of 14k or 18k white or yellow gold or sterling silver.