2.49 Ct. Ruby from Mozambique

This pear shaped ruby presents a precise and deliberate set of proportions, weighing 2.49 carats, with dimensions of 11.75 x 6.83 x 3.98 mm, and a length to width ratio of approximately 1.72, a proportion that is classically preferred for pendants and solitaire rings where an elongated outline contributes to optical lengthening on the finger. The cutter selected a mixed brilliant facet scheme, marrying a brilliant oriented crown to a tailored pavilion structure, a design decision that optimizes both color saturation and return of light. The mixed brilliant approach in this piece concentrates smaller, kite and triangular crown facets to enhance scintillation and to break up light return across the table, while the pavilion geometry is balanced to preserve face up color rather than maximize dispersion, a priority for rubies where chromatic depth is the principal value driver. The excellent polish reported on the finish facets indicates careful final work with fine abrasive sequences applied to preserve crisp facet junctions and to minimize micro-surface damage, which maintains strong contrast and lively face up appearance under direct and diffused lighting.

Color is the dominant valuation parameter for rubies, and this example displays a pinkish red hue with intense saturation, a color coordinate that sits toward the warmer end of the ruby spectrum. The intensity described ensures strong chroma in small and medium format jewelry settings, producing a vivid presence even at modest carat weights. The origin is Mozambique, a deposit that over the last two decades has produced material with strong chromium activation and variable iron content, yielding tones that can closely approach the coveted classic Burmese reds while often showing a slightly lighter pink overtone. Heat treatment has been applied, a widely accepted enhancement that improves color uniformity and reduces the visibility of certain inclusions. Properly executed heating stabilizes the stone and is consistent with the trade practices for fine colored stones, allowing the cutter to prioritize face up color during the mixed brilliant faceting process. The resulting combination of intense color and thermal enhancement makes this ruby immediately usable in high quality jewelry without further treatment interventions.

Clarity is graded included at eye level, a technical designation that communicates the presence of internal features visible to a trained observer without magnification. In ruby, inclusions are diagnostic and often integral to origin determination and to assessing treatment history. The visible inclusions in this parcel likely consist of rutile needles, crystals, and growth zoning that are typical for Mozambique material, and these features interact with the faceting geometry. The mixed brilliant cut helps to compartmentalize and visually mitigate some inclusions by redirecting light and by creating facet reflections that distract the eye from localized clarity interruptions. For gemmakers and designers, the inclusion pattern can also provide strategic mounting opportunities, for example orienting the table axis to place more transparent windows where prongs will not obstruct light entry, or using closed back or bezel settings to enhance perceived saturation. The 3.98 mm thickness produces a streamlined profile that favors a strong face up presence rather than deep pavilion angles, which is frequently desirable when the principal aim is to maximize apparent color and to keep the setting profile wearable.

Comparatively, this ruby occupies a unique place in the historical context of famous rubies, sharing chromatic affinities with celebrated stones while retaining distinct value characteristics. The intense pinkish red hue evokes the vivacity seen in historically renowned gems such as the Sunrise Ruby, noted for its remarkable pigeon blood saturation, yet this 2.49 carat pear differs in that it offers a more contemporary and wearable scale with a refined mixed brilliant cut designed to enhance scintillation rather than the pronounced face up mass of large museum pieces. Unlike large star rubies such as the Rosser Reeves example, which derive interest from asterism, this gem’s allure is centered on pure color and cut engineering. The provenance of Mozambique aligns it with a modern supply source that has supplied exceptional gem material to the market, while the heat treatment follows historically accepted enhancement practices that have been used to bring many famous rubies to their visual peak. At The Natural Ruby Company we place value on stones that combine optical performance, responsible sourcing, and practical wearability, and this pear shaped ruby exemplifies that intersection, offering collectors and designers a precision cut, intensely colored example that references the chromatic prestige of famous rubies while delivering a unique and contemporary technical profile.