Will show G.I.A. report after I get 3 correct answers! Photos are from rough specimen under strong magnification during immersion test
- Clue: 97.7% Glycerin used for Immersion Fluid.
Will show G.I.A. report after I get 3 correct answers! Photos are from rough specimen under strong magnification during immersion test
Anything for a laugh 
Tanzania, Winza Ruby 
May I ask you, what makes you guess Ruby?
Of course, you can ask 
Lol, o.k., what makes you say that? All for fun of course!
If you study the photos well, there are enough inclusions to determine Origin and species
Glycerin has an RI 1.473, water an RI of 1.333 (assuming distilled or purer.) So the glycerin solution should be about RI 1.4697, (about the same as Methyl thiocyanate. Scary stuff.)
I am going with Fire Opal. It is the only common enough gem with an RI range that encompasses the glycerin solution RI.
Here is the work:
| Material | Index | Average Index | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beryl | ||||||||
| _ bixbite | 1.564 | 1.574 | ||||||
| _ Pezzottaite | 1.601 | 1.62 | ||||||
| Corundum | 1.76 | 1.77 | ||||||
| Tourmaline | 1.616 | 1.65 | ||||||
| Garnet | 1.734 | 1.759 | ||||||
| Spinel | 1.712 | 1.736 | ||||||
| Zircon | 1.93 | 1.987 | ||||||
| Fire Opal | 1.37 | 1.47 | ||||||
| Diamond | 2.42 | |||||||
| Calcite | 1.486 | 1.658 | ||||||
| Apatite | 1.632 | 1.651 | ||||||
| Andesine | ||||||||
| Pyrex | 1.474 | |||||||
| Borosilicate glass | 1.51446 | |||||||
| Percent | ||||||||
| Glycerin | 1.473 | 97.70% | 1.439121 | |||||
| 1.46978 | ||||||||
| Water | 1.333 | 2.30% | 0.030659 |
IN all honesty, I did not use an equally refractive fluid when examining this stone. I was only looking for internal liquid filled inclusions, which I find harder to observe in a high r.i.
Fluid. Will download pics. Of rough specimin in Benzyl alcohol 99.995% soon.
Above are 7 new pis. of the same stone shown in Benzyl Alcohol. Should give a better idea of what you are seeing.
Red Beryl (bixbite)
Looking at just the inclusions feather and finger print inclusions, it feels like I am looking at an emerald’s jarden. Only other stone with similar inclusions is red beryl (bixbite). And the only source I am familiar with is Wahwah Utah. After a quick double check, red beryl can and frequently does include liquid inclusions.
The inclusions do look remarkably close to those in a natural beryl.
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Time for clues…this rough, has a strong reaction to Long wave U.V.
The colours, reds and pink, even a few of the inclusions looked similar to the pictures the GIA published on Winza Rubies.
I should add, I’m not an expert 
I believe it is a ruby, i am by no means an expert in any way. I wouldnt know the location…
Ruby, Madagascar
Unless the specimen @Matthew has provided is a unique atypical specimen mined at Winza, I am not convinced its from there. The crystal growth patterns, color zones, and inclusions are not aligned with the majority of observed Winza material.
Links to the GIA report and another to compare notes:
Natural Ruby from Burma reacts to LW UV but so does Lab Grown Flame-Fusion material.
Bixbite has very little to no reaction to UV.
The lack of color zoning is not a strong argument against Winza material since heat-treatment typically reduces the blue zones. Matthew, you mentioned searching for and observing fluid-filled inclusions, which I suspect is to determine if heat treatment was done. Heat treated natural ruby will react stronger with SW UV…
I am leaning towards Lab-grown Ruby. There are striations with some curvature which is typical.
Not positive on anything… and I am not an expert. However, fell into this rabbit-hole, while staying at a Holiday Inn Express… 
I am down the same hole!
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