Ruby
The Ruby gemstone is also referred to as the Manik stone in the Hindi language. Due to its association with the Sun, Ruby stone is touted as the King of Gems or Ratnaraj as it gets high astrological significance due to the Sun’s extremely high energy levels. These stones are luminous in nature and hence offer a shiny appearance.
Sapphire
Sapphire gemstone is a precious colored gemstone that is available in a variety of colors such as pink, yellow, blue, green and many more. These colored gemstones are highly popular in the gemstone world because of their excellent color and high sturdiness.
Emerald
Emerald gemstone is also termed Pachu stone in the Hindi language. Its vivid green color and bluish undertone make these gems highly valuable. These appealing gemstones used to be the favorite gems of Queen Cleopatra, who was a ruler of Egypt long ago.
There are various factors that need to be considered while differentiating these appealing gems and all of them have been described below:
Color
Sapphire: Sapphire gemstones are available in multiple colors all over the world with the blue color being the most famous. These color varieties in Sapphire gemstones occur due to the presence of various trace elements inside the gem such as iron, chromium, titanium and vanadium. The most striking color varieties of Sapphire gemstones are royal blue and canary color. Sapphire is a uniaxial gemstone that shows dual colors when seen from separate angles.
Ruby: The Ruby gemstone occurs in a variety of red colors which appear due to the presence of chromium and iron in their chemical composition. The trace elements present in Ruby offer different varieties of red such as pink, orange and purple which depend on the amount of iron and chromium present. The best quality Ruby gemstone possesses a color that isn’t too dark nor too light so as to offer better transparency.
Emerald: Emerald stones are known for their shiny green shade which occurs due to the presence of vanadium and chromium whereas they get bluish undertones due to the presence of iron. Similar to Sapphires, Emeralds are also uniaxial gemstones.
Clarity
When determining the clarity of a stone the most important factors include its transparency, the number of inclusions present and other kinds of flaws such as cracks. Be it Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald, the presence of inclusions is quite common in all of them. Among them, Emeralds contain the most number of inclusions and they are visible to the eyes easily as well unlike the inclusions present in Sapphires or Rubies. These inclusions in some cases can also be seen as significant factors that improve the appearance of a gemstone. For example, hollow tube-like inclusions present in Emeralds do not decrease their value as they are seen as a part of the stones. Also, Kashmir Sapphires contain silk inclusions that reflect light rays to offer a velvety and shiny texture making the stone invaluable. The fewer the number of inclusions or flaws the higher will be the clarity and with it increases the price of the stone.
Hardness
As Sapphire and Ruby gemstones are both formed of the same materials they possess a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale making them only fall behind Diamond and Moissanite in terms of sturdiness. However, Emeralds only possess a hardness of 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale making them prone to damages like scratches and chipping. Jewels made by utilizing Sapphires and Rubies are resilient in nature and can be utilized on a daily basis.
Price
Normally the price of a gemstone is directly proportional to its size when considering good quality gems, however as small-sized Rubies are uncommon in the market they are priced highly. In the case of Rubies, the most determining factors for calculating price are the place from which they are mined and the intensity of their shade. Also, the cut of a Ruby is a significant factor as well. The average price of a Ruby gemstone falls in the range of INR 5000 to INR 25000 a carat.
When determining the price of Sapphires or Emeralds the most important factors to consider are the shade and color distribution. The most costly variety of Sapphires is the Royal Blue Sapphire, whereas the most costly variety of Emeralds possesses a bluish-green color. The average price of an Emerald comes between INR 2000 to INR 20000 a carat. Sapphires on the other hand are priced between INR 5000 to INR 15000 a carat.
Symbolism
Ruled by the Sun, the Ruby gemstone symbolizes love and morality as it helps the wearer in leading a life filled with love and compassion and makes the person stay away from immoral choices of any kind. Emerald stones are ruled by the planet Mercury and are known to symbolize success and creativity as these magnificent gems help the wearer in boosting creativity so as to be successful in their domain. Sapphires, on the other hand, are used to pacify planet Saturn and these brilliant gems symbolize royalty and loyalty as people wearing Sapphires are showered with good fortune and wealth.
Treatment
Sapphire: Most Sapphire stones available in the gemstone market are heat treated in order to enhance their color and clarity and reduce uneven color distribution. Heat treatment is mostly used on Sapphires with low quality so that they can reach gem quality. Natural Sapphires without being treated are priced higher even when there are a few inclusions present.
Ruby: Similar to Sapphire gemstones, bad-quality Rubies are also treated so that they become worthy of being gems. Applying heat is the usual method utilized to enhance the color and reduce purple undertones and needle inclusions to offer better clarity. However, even if the color and clarity of the gem are improved the price of a treated Ruby still goes down.
Emerald: Emerald gems often contain a large number of inclusions inside even in the case of premium quality Emeralds. Although Emeralds with inclusions that can be easily seen such as inclusions due to gas and fractures need to be treated. Oil treatment is highly beneficial in the case of Emeralds in which cedar oil is utilized to fill the cracks and inclusions so as to enhance sturdiness and brilliance. The degree to which the stones are treated can range from low to high and it should be mentioned at the time of selling the Emerald stone.
Physical and chemical properties
Sapphires and Rubies both belong to the corundum species of minerals due to which they are sturdy in nature. Both these gems only come behind Diamond and Moissanite in terms of durability making them less prone to damage and suitable for everyday usage. Whereas Emeralds belong to the beryl species of minerals and these gems aren’t as sturdy as the two mentioned above. The chemical composition of the corundum family includes aluminum oxide and multiple trace elements that vary in cases of Ruby and Sapphire. In the case of Sapphire, trace elements include iron, titanium and chromium, whereas Ruby only contains iron and chromium as trace elements. Emeralds, on the other hand, are made of beryllium aluminum cyclosilicate and vanadium and chromium as trace elements. The crystal system of these gems is the same, i.e. hexagonal.
Making a comparison between Emeralds, Rubies and Sapphires can be a challenging task for buyers as there are a lot of factors that need to be considered. After judging the above-mentioned factors it all comes down to personal preferences as each individual has different opinions and thoughts regarding what they want to invest in. To ease your selection we at Navratan, the online gem bazaar, provide all the necessary information required about these gems. Also, our online store delivers these stones to any part of the world so that the shopping experience of our customers is convenient for them.
