Hi Don,
If that parcel is ruby, it seems most are opaque. Which does not have an assigned price/carat. Have you found any that are transparent or display chatoyancy? Those pieces could be graded for better quality. Do you have a UV lamp? If they react to long wave UV then there is some indicator of material type. Have you done a streak, and or scratch test? Some quick tests could help.
If they look similar to this: 1 Kilo Natural Raw Ruby Stone Hexagonal Crystals - Lapidary Rough – Folkmarketgems you could set a price point, but look closely at those included in the listed parcel. There are quite a few that seem transparent.
Rough like the image you posted, has seen prices vary from $10 - 15 for a small parcel of 5 - 10 pieces. Places like etsy, amazon, and ebay with post $20-30 of bulk for tumbling/cabs/beads.
-Troy
Hi I’m pretty sure that ruby has been glassed filled i have seen a lot in the rough and believe thats what it is thanks
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they haven’t been filled with glass because . they were found like that in east Africa
some of them are clear but have some minor inclusions. They all passed the uv test . I will try to sort them from clear ones to opaque
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Everyon wants to show their knowledge but no one will answer the question. $0.30-$0.45 per carat is the going price for these goods landed in the US or GB.
Don,
@SydP has a point to consider. After digging into the lead-glass clarity enhancement process, the parcel image you posted has a lot of similarities to rough material after the first heat treatment step. This stage of enhancement does not include the Pb and SiO2 powders used in subsequent treatment steps.
Milton,
If that information is available online, please post a link to it. We can all benefit from the knowledge of other members.
Per the quoted price range you stated, one kilogram of ruby rough would cost about $15,000 (@ $0.30/ct).
That seems a bit high.
Ruby in Zoisite matrix is currently being sold between $250 - $350 per kg. It makes sense that recovered ruby material from the matrix would incur a higher price… but not at $15,000 / kg.
The link I posted 7 days ago is selling hexagonal ruby crystals (if it is ruby) for $490/kg.