Price Guide to Buy Ruby Gemstone

Regarded as one of the most precious gemstones, Ruby needs little introduction. This rich and regal red colored gemstone of the Corundum mineral family often shares the limelight with the beautiful diamonds at the international auctions.

Ruby (Manik)

Purchasing a natural ruby stone is itself a matter of pride. It signifies love and passion with its fiery red hue and brilliant luster. It is quite an important gemstone in many cultures. For instance, in India (Vedic astrology), it is believed that wearing a ruby (meaning Manikya or Manik gemstone in Hindi) brings professional success, financial gains, good health and improvement in relationships of the wearer. Ruby gemstone is even praised four times in the sacred verses of Holy Bible. In western countries, Ruby birthstone is considered lucky for the people born in the month of July. In modern times, ruby is often given as a present to a couple as 15th or 40th wedding anniversary gemstone.

Now, when buying a precious stone like ruby, the quality and prices become a matter of great concern for most of the buyers. A beforehand knowledge of the factors influencing price and the current ruby rates in the market is quite helpful in making better decisions. At GemPundit, we always believe in providing our customers with the best of knowledge to take their shopping experience at the highest level.

The price of a ruby gemstone depends upon its Origin, Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat weight. However, Rarity, Demand and Treatment? (if present) also have an influence on the ruby value. The Manik stone price in India remains high for natural, untreated and unheated rubies. All these factors have a certain role in determining the overall worth of a ruby gemstone.

So, whether buying rubies online or from a local dealer, one should consider the below-mentioned key parameters carefully to make a valuable purchase for a lifetime. However, it is important to understand that all quality rubies are good, it depends on the individual personal need, desire, taste and ability to spend. This reminds us of a very beautiful line stated by the King of Morocco – ‘Abu Inan Fares’

“That which is beautiful is never too costly, nor can anyone pay too much for that which gives pleasure to all”

How can I determine Ruby price?

Ruby gemstone shares the Corundum mineral family with many other important gemstones. Corundum occurs in a variety of colours and when the color is predominantly red, it is termed as ruby. All the other colors and shades are classified as sapphires. This could be a strong reason why rubies are renowned as ‘Rajratna’ or the ‘King of Gems’. It is worn for mystical attributes as well as aesthetic reasons. Choosing a low-quality ruby and paying a higher price can be a costly mistake.

1. Origin

Fine-quality ruby rough is procured from the mines of Burma (now Myanmar), Madagascar, Mozambique, India, Thailand, Afghanistan, Tanzania and Africa. Burmese ruby is the most expensive variety due to its exceptionally beautiful color. Mozambique ruby, Tanzanian Ruby and Madagascar rubies are the next most preferred choices. For people with a lower budget, Thailand ruby and Indian ruby are some cheaper options available in the market.

A. Burmese Ruby

For centuries, the ruby mines (especially the Mogok Mine in Old Burma region) of Myanmar (earlier called Burma) have been a prolific supplier of superior quality ruby gemstones. The term ‘Burma ruby’ has now become a synonym for top quality rubies and thus Burmese ruby prices are expected to be on the higher end of the price scale. Old Burma ruby resourced from the Mogok often called Mogok rubies, have also earned a good market reputation.

Therefore, old Burma or especially the Mogok ruby prices shoot up significantly in comparison to other origins. Due to the limited availability and high demand, Myanmar ruby prices fluctuate steeply because of its superior color and exceptional clarity. In India, Burmese Ruby price per carat starts from ₹ 10,000 ($150 approx.) and draws a premium as high as ₹ 1,20,000 per carat per carat ($1,600 approx.) in the market, even more.

Burmese Ruby

B. Mozambique Ruby

Another important source of highly sought-after ruby stones is Mozambique. Due to their deep red hue and strong transparency, Mozambique ruby price in India remains higher than rubies from other parts of Africa. The ruby from the Niassa province of Mozambique is highly admired due to its deep pinkish red hue and good transparency.

Mozambique ruby prices per carat in India usually range between ₹ 20,000 ($300 approx.) and draws a premium as high as ₹ 2,0000 per carat per carat ($3100 approx.) in the market, even more. For an in-depth knowledge.

Mozambique Ruby

C. Madagascar Ruby

It is another good resource of the top of the line rubies. Just like other origins, Madagascar ruby gemstone price also depends largely upon its color and clarity. As per the recent stats, Madagascar ruby gemstone price per carat begins from ₹ 15,000 ($240 approx.) and draws a premium as high as ₹ 2,0000 per carat per carat ($3100 approx.) in the market, and above.

Madagascar Ruby

D. Tanzanian Ruby

Mined from the Merelani and Songea region of Tanzania, Tanzania ruby gemstone is known for its pleasing red hue. Winza ruby mines in Tanzania are quite popular for producing the finest qualities rubies. The price of red ruby from Tanzania floats between ₹ 15,000 ($240 approx.) and draws a premium as high as ₹ 2,5000 per carat per carat ($3900 approx.) in the market, and above. (when quality is phenomenal).

E. African Ruby

Africa rubies come in a broad range of color and clarity, depending upon the mine from which the stone is resourced. African ruby stone price in Indian rupees range from ₹ 1,500 ($240 approx.) and draws a premium as high as ₹ 80,000 per carat per carat ($1250 approx.) depending upon its color, clarity and brilliance.

African Ruby

F. Afghanistan Ruby

Afghan rubies are mostly extracted from the mines of Jagdalek and Badakshan. Its color ranges from pale red to deep red. Afghan rubies vivid red hue and less visible inclusion patterns command a higher value. Usually, an Afghan natural ruby stone price per carat in India stretches from ₹ 45,000 ($700 approx.) and draws a premium as high as ₹ 1,50,000 per carat per carat ($2345 approx.) and above.

G. Thai Rubies / Bangkok Ruby

Some new ruby mines are discovered in the northern region of Myanmar sharing the border with Thailand. These average quality rubies are often treated to enhance the color and as sold as New Burma rubies. Its prices start from ₹ 500 ($7 approx.) and draws a premium as high as ₹ 4,000 per carat per carat ($65 approx.) plus.

H. Indian Ruby

Indian ruby are mostly darker in color and opaque. However, some good quality transparent rubies do come but in a very limited amount. Owing to its quality, the price of rubies from India varies from ₹ 300 ($5 approx.) and draws a premium as high as ₹ 700 per carat per carat ($10 approx.) and more.

As Indian Manik price remains quite low in comparison to other varieties, this gemstone can be a budget-friendly option for making fashion jewelry.

Indian Ruby

2. Color

Color has the most profound impact on the price of ruby stone in India and in other countries also. Rubies are found in a plethora of hues from red to dark reddish pink. The chromium traces inside the mineral give rubies its pristine red hue. The most valuable rubies have richly saturated, medium red to deep red hue, distributed evenly throughout the surface. Much darker red or too light pinkish shades are considered less valuable. Extremely light pink Corundum is classified as Pink Sapphire. Generally, the deeper and the more intense is the color, higher is the ruby cost. The color of ruby gemstones is analysed on the basis of three factors – Hue, Tone and Saturation.

3. Hue

Most of the rubies bear a primary and secondary color. The primary color is red whereas secondary color includes overtones of orange, purple or pink. The ruby bearing brightest and the most valuable ‘red’ with a tint of purple is called the blood red ruby or the pigeon blood red ruby, commands a large premium over other rubies of similar quality. In India, Pigeon blood ruby price per carat begins from ₹ 3 Lakh per carat ($4665 approx.) and can reach in millions/carat if the origin is Burma.

The Ruby Gemstone price in India can fall down if the concentration of overtones like orange, purple or pink hue start hampering the primary red color of the ruby gemstone.

Pigeon Blood Ruby from Mozambique

Pigeon Blood Ruby from Madagascar

Pigeon Blood Ruby from Burma

4. Tone

Red ruby price also depends on the tone i.e. – the level of darkness. The color tone of ruby ranges from light to dark but the best quality rubies fall somewhere between medium to medium dark red tone. Too dark ruby color often makes it appears opaque and if its lighter than the stone may appear too faint.

5. Saturation

It signifies the depth of the ruby’s color. Usually the more intense is the color, higher is the red ruby price. A bright vivid red ruby is said to be well saturated and creates a good hike in the price of ruby in India.

6. Clarity

Ruby belongs to the category of Type II clarity gemstone. It means that this gemstone is bound to have some natural imperfections in the form of silk, crystal inclusions, feathers, fingerprints etc. Untreated, real ruby generally have inclusions intact. The cost of ruby per carat in India and even in international gem market depends on the volume, location and size of inclusions found inside the crystal and the overall transparency of the stone.

A ruby gem with see-through clarity and no eye visible inclusion is rarely found and is quite expensive. The presence of inclusions at prominent locations and milkiness often causes a reduction in the ruby stone price per ratti. But exceptions are always there. Some rubies contain closely packed, tiny, microscopic needle-like inclusions called ‘Silk’. These inclusions hamper the transparency but create a beautiful star-like effect on the surface when seen under the light source. Such quality stones are categories separately as ‘ Star Rubies’. On the basis of inclusions, the clarity in rubies is classified as follows.

A. VVS Clarity

The top-quality rubies also called ‘loupe clean rubies’ belong to the VVS (very very small inclusions) category. In these best-quality ruby pieces, the inclusions are present but extremely small and not visible to naked eyes, even not from a loupe (gemological device use to check the clarity of a gemstone). Finding such quality in any size is a challenge, therefore, these Manik gemstone prices can be in millions.

B. VS Clarity

Rubies in VS (very slight inclusions) clarity category bear some eye visible but in very control amount. The price of ruby per carat in India in VS clarity gems is assessed by checking the prominence of eye visible inclusions. The less prominent are the inclusions, higher will be the ruby rate in India and other parts of the world.

C. SI or I Clarity

The slightly included (SI) or included (I) are plentiful and highly economical. The volume and size of imperfection in SI or I are relatively larger than VS clarity gems. The presence of inclusions not just disturbs the clarity but sometimes also affect the color and durability of the gem. The ruby rate in India falls steeply for such quality gems.

7. Cut

In terms of cut, the high-quality ruby gems are expected to be slightly less proportionate, mainly due to the scarcity of the good ruby rough. Due to the high per carat ruby rate, the gem cutters majorly focus on weight retention. Shapes and cuts just like the oval cut, are usually preferred that causes minimum wastage of rough stone and enhance the color and clarity of the gem as well.

8. Carat weight

A fine quality, natural ruby above certain carats, is rare to find, even rarer than the precious diamonds. Therefore, ruby stone price per carat increases astronomically from one carat to four or five-carat ruby stone when quality remains same.

Another important aspect that one should remember regarding carat size while purchasing a ruby gemstone online or from the local market is that not every small sized ruby is less expensive. In rubies, large size gemstone usually to have many inclusions. On the other hand, small size ruby gems have a higher level of clarity. Thus, even a small size original ruby stone price in India can draw a premium if the color and clarity are truly exceptional.

9. Treatment

The low-quality red ruby gemstone, sometimes, undergoes heat treatment, glass filling or beryllium treatment. The heat enhancement is often done to dissolve the crystal inclusions, improve clarity and enhance the color of the gemstone. Such treatments are applied to make the stone, aesthetically more desirable and inflates their market value. Lead or glass filled rubies are commonly available in the market.

The molten glass is often filled in the gaps present inside the crystal to improve the color consistency and clarity of the gemstone. Lab filled ruby displays good color and clarity. It can be a good option for jewelry if someone can’t afford the natural ones. However, for astrological purposes, it is always recommended to purchase only a natural, untreated and unheated ruby. No doubt, the synthetic, lab created, or treated rubies are far cheaper than natural rubies but are not considered effective for astrological uses.

Where can you find the best quality Rubies?

At GemPundit, we have a huge inventory of 100% natural ruby gemstone online for sale at the most reasonable price rates. One can browse our rich inventory and can check the ruby photos and videos. Our expert gemologists have collected high-quality ruby gems from difference renowned origins. At GemPundit, one can easily find a ruby gemstone in different shades, carats and rattis. We also keep trust above anything and therefore provide FREE Lab Certificate to ensure the quality of your purchase. Customers can also get their favorite ruby gemstone tested by any gem laboratory (IGI, GII, GIA or GRS etc.) of their choice.

GIA Certified Burma Ruby

GRS Certified Emerald

GIA Certified Emerald

GRS Certified Mozambique Ruby

FAQs

1. What affects the price of a ruby?

2. Why is origin important?

3. Are treated rubies cheaper?

4. How do I know if a ruby is worth the price?

5. Why do ruby prices vary?