Two Exquisite, Flashy, Sparkling Good Quality Carat 19th Century Genuine Natural Faceted Princess Cut Rubies from Burma.

CLASSIFICATION: Faceted Princess Cut Ruby Precious Gemstones.

ORIGIN: Burma, 19th Century (present day Myanmar).

SIZE: 2 1/2mm square. Depth: 2mm. Measurements approximate.

COMBINED WEIGHT: 0.28 carats.

NOTES: Upon request we can set your gemstones into a ring, pendant, or into earrings.

DETAIL: Two absolutely exquisite, exceptionally good quality 19th century antique hand faceted rubies from Burma (present day Myanmar). Hand crafted by a 19th century Russian artisan, part of an heritage renown for the production of the elaborate gemstones and jewelry of the Czars of Medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian Russia. Originally used in indigenous jewelry, these are very pretty precious gemstones, a very bright, almost neon red. These sparkling precious gemstones are absolutely transparent, flawless to the eye, full of flash and sparkle! They are of exceptionally high character and quality.

Of course most ruby gemstones are anywhere from lightly to heavily included. Most completely transparent rubies you see offered today at retail are either synthetic (read the fine print carefully) or cost $10,000 a carat. These particular gemstones are an exception. Though they are not flawless, even under 600% magnification, as you can see in the images here, it is difficult to pick out the tiny little blemishes these remarkable gemstones do possess (tiny little feathered strands of colorless included crystalline material). And they are most assuredly natural ruby precious gemstones. We guarantee you will be mesmerized and dazzled by the brilliant flash and sparkling, fiery beauty of these natural ruby precious gemstones.

These specimens are definitely near the highest end of the quality spectrum. Nonetheless the trained eye will easily detect the unmistakable indications that the gemstones have been hand-cut and hand faceted. The coarseness of the 19th century faceting is considered appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered a detriment. In fact these characteristics of hand crafted gemstones are considered part and parcel of the magic of such antique gemstones. Unlike today's computer controlled machine processes, the cut and finish of gemstones such as these is the legacy of an artisan who lived two centuries ago. Such antique hand-faceted gemstones possess much greater character and appeal than today's mass-produced machine-faceted gemstones.

These gemstones have great luster and sparkle, and to the eye are completely transparent, but are not absolutely without flaw. True, any blemishes it possesses are not visible to the naked eye, and the gemstones can be characterized at a minimum, to use trade jargon, as "eye clean". To the eye they are indeed flawless. Even magnified here in these 600% photo enlargements it is easy to miss the blemishes. But if you look carefully you can just pick out a little bit of feathery colorless crystalline included material. Aside from these tiny little blemishes which are visible only under high magnification, there are as well as occasional irregularities in the faceting and finish. Of course absolutely flawless gemstones are very rare in nature (and usually turns out to be synthetic). Sooner or later blemishes will show up at higher levels of magnification with almost every natural gemstone.

The coarse finish and the occasional blemish are characteristics that are not only expected of antique hand-crafted gemstones, you must also consider that two centuries ago the mining techniques even theoretically possible, let alone commonly practiced, did not allow the ultra deep mining operations which are so commonplace today. Two centuries ago mankind was more or less limited to surface deposits or near surface deposits of gemstones. Higher quality gemstones which today are routinely mined from beneath hundreds of meters, even kilometers beneath the earth's surface, were simply inaccessible then. So antique gemstones must be appreciated as antiques first, gemstones second. The relatively superlative quality of contemporary gemstones routinely mined from deep beneath the earth's surface today were simply not accessible two centuries ago, or at least, only rarely so. However for most, the unique nature and character of antique gemstones such as this more than makes up for included imperfections which by and large, are (if at all) only visible under high magnification.

HISTORY: Rubies were amongst the earliest gemstones traded by mankind, since the 5th millennium B.C. Rubies were worn as an amulet for protection from plagues, poison, sorrow, and evil spirits from ancient times all the way through Medieval Europe. Rubies it was believed would bring health, wealth, wisdom, and success to those who wore them. In Sankskrit, an ancient language of India, ruby was called "ratnaraj", which means "King of Gems". To them, this fiery stone burned with an inextinguishable fire, capable of boiling the water in which it was placed. Even the ancient Greeks believed that a "fire" burned within a ruby, as evidenced by the red color, and they believed the ruby capable of melting wax. The Burmese actually embedded rubies within their skin as they believed it produced invulnerability. Ruby is the red variety of corundum, the second hardest natural mineral known to mankind (behind the diamond). The non-red variety of corundum is Sapphire. Because of its hardness and durability, ruby is an excellent choice for including in all types of jewelry. Sapphires are well known among the general public as being blue, but can be nearly any color. Rubies are mined all over the world, including India, Burma, Ceylon, Thailand, India, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, and North Carolina in the USA.

SHIPPING OPTIONS: All purchases are backed by an unlimited guarantee of satisfaction and authenticity. If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for a complete and immediate refund of your entire purchase price. Most of these antique gemstones were originally part of two collections, one originating in India principally composed of gemstones originally mined in India, Burma, Ceylon, and Siam, and then hand faceted in India. The addition of a second accumulation of antique gemstones originally mined in the Urals in the mid to late 19th century (including alexandrite) completed the collection. These gemstones as well were hand finished. The Urals have been one of the world's major sources of precious and semi-precious gemstones for many centuries. As well, additional specimens are occasionally acquired from other institutions and dealers in Eastern Europe and Asia. These antique gemstones are now in the United States and are available for immediate delivery.

We ship inventory from the USA order fulfillment center near Seattle, Washington. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipping within 48 hours of payment. A certificate of authenticity is available upon request. We prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment - and we will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no "holds"). We will accept PayPal payments. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE".