Clarity Enhancement

In the world of rubies, clarity enhancement plays a significant role in improving a gemstone’s appearance and making it more visually appealing. Since most natural rubies contain inclusions, various treatments are used to enhance their transparency, brilliance, and overall market value. Understanding these enhancements is essential for buyers seeking high-quality rubies.

1. Why Clarity Enhancement is Done

Natural rubies often have internal inclusions like fractures, silk (needle-like rutile inclusions), and cloudiness, which can reduce their brilliance. Clarity enhancement helps:

• Improve transparency by reducing visible inclusions.
• Increase brilliance by allowing more light to pass through the stone.
• Strengthen durability by filling fractures that may weaken the ruby.
• Make rubies more affordable, as treated stones cost less than untreated high-clarity rubies.

2. Common Clarity Enhancement Methods

A. Heat Treatment (Most Common)

• Uses high temperatures to dissolve rutile silk inclusions, improving clarity and color.
• Considered a standard practice and accepted in the gemstone market.
• Does not involve adding foreign substances to the ruby.

B. Fracture Filling (Lead Glass Treatment)

• Fills surface-reaching fractures with lead glass or other fillers to improve transparency.
• Makes heavily included rubies appear clearer and more vibrant.
• Significantly lowers value compared to untreated or heat-treated rubies.
• Requires extra care, as the filling can be damaged by heat or chemicals.

C. Flux Healing

• A variation of heat treatment where a flux material is added during the process.
• The flux melts and fills tiny fractures, improving durability and clarity.
• More stable than fracture filling but still involves foreign material.

3. Identifying Clarity-Enhanced Rubies

• Untreated rubies often have visible silk inclusions and natural fractures.
• Heat-treated rubies show reduced silk inclusions but no added substances.
• Fracture-filled rubies may display flashes of blue, pink, or orange under magnification, indicating the presence of glass.
• Flux-healed rubies might have residue in healed fractures visible under magnification.

4. Value Differences in Clarity-Enhanced Rubies

• Untreated, eye-clean rubies are the rarest and most valuable.
• Heat-treated rubies are widely accepted and more affordable.
• Fracture-filled rubies have the lowest market value and require careful handling.

Conclusion

Understanding clarity enhancement is crucial for making an informed purchase. While heat-treated rubies are widely accepted, fracture-filled rubies require extra care. Always ask for disclosure of treatments to ensure the best value for your investment.