Songea Rubies

Hi all just wondered if anyone can help do you think these Songea Rubies are like the aaa tanzanian rubies from the other rocks channel .?????

I must admit I thought they were the same too and I do have a ring of Tanzanian Ruby from the other channel. I also have some Songea earrings on their way, so I'll be able to compare them when they arrive.

I asked Barry the other day if Songea rubies and Tanzanian rubies were the same or were they different. He replied that in fact they were the same - Songea being in Tanzania and that is the mine they come from. So I guess it's different name, same gem. Whether there is then any difference between AAA Tanzanian ruby and any other Tanzanian ruby I don't know . .

I've got an AAA Tanzanian ruby ring from Rocks & Co., and the stones are a lovely deep scarlet with no pink tones, and very clear. The Songea rubies I saw at Rocks openday were certainly a good colour, but I don't think they were quite so clear...no reason not to buy them though!

if rockstv other gemstones are anything to go by, then i'd say rocks and co AAA tanzanian rubies will be far better quality

Songea vs Tanzanian rubies...

There are at least two sources of rubies in Tanzania. One is a hard rock mine at Mt. Matumbo. The ruby which comes from here is in limestone matrix and has no question as to its validity as "ruby." The Songea rubies, are alluvial and most come from the same pit somewhere south and east of Songea, on the road to Tunduru. They are always alluvial in nature and come mixed in with the other colors of the region. Many of these have a high iron content (as do the greenish colored songea sapphires that are beryllium treated to make them orange) that may be dissipated into a bluish color by gently heat treating at some temperature around 700-1000 degrees. There are some, however that do not have the brown modifiers and cut wonderful, natural corundums of a red color. If they are pinkish in color, look through both axes of the stones and you will see a red in one direction and a bluish color in the other direction. They combine, when face up to a purple or pinkish color.

Johnnydiamond said:

There are at least two sources of rubies in Tanzania. One is a hard rock mine at Mt. Matumbo. The ruby which comes from here is in limestone matrix and has no question as to its validity as "ruby." The Songea rubies, are alluvial and most come from the same pit somewhere south and east of Songea, on the road to Tunduru. They are always alluvial in nature and come mixed in with the other colors of the region. Many of these have a high iron content (as do the greenish colored songea sapphires that are beryllium treated to make them orange) that may be dissipated into a bluish color by gently heat treating at some temperature around 700-1000 degrees. There are some, however that do not have the brown modifiers and cut wonderful, natural corundums of a red color. If they are pinkish in color, look through both axes of the stones and you will see a red in one direction and a bluish color in the other direction. They combine, when face up to a purple or pinkish color.

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I've only just spotted this recent post on an old thread that's been bumped up, but interesting nevertheless.

Thanks and welcome to the forum jd. I recall some years back that Gems had a very few Tanzanian Rubies on their website, priced at several hundred pounds, but looked wonderful. The question was asked if they were completely natural, which was confirmed.....(I think).

I have an orange Sapphire ring from TJC with very vividly coloured, but clear, stones....obviously treated to the hilt. I've never actually worn it, funny that! Thanks to Meesh's earlier posts we have been well informed and warned of treatments that could be (and were on some channels) undisclosed.

Sacha - if I recall correctly there was suspicion that these had been treated due to the clarity/colour (which is rare in untreated gemstones). I seem to remember that eventually it was confirmed that they were diffused. I may be recalling incorrectly but I do know that I didn't keep mine (and that's indicative to me that they were treated). Leaving aside the treatment, the stones are very pretty and probably not over-priced but, like other treated gemstones, won't be heirloom pieces in my opinion.

Natural untreated rubies are very scarce and they command a HUGE premium. Hardly any sellers have them and if they do, they are typically supported by a lab report (AGL being the best for coloured gemstones).

Not only do we need to be warned about diffusion in rubies, dyeing, fissure filling and a host of other treatments are routinely applied. I would NEVER buy a ruby or sapphire now without a lab report because the price difference between natural/untreated and natural/treated is vast unless the price was low enough not to care!

Meeshoo, taking on board your invaluable info, for which, as always, many thanks, would it be better to buy a good quality spinel? I have a sapphire solitaire which slots into a diamond band and have long hankered to have a ruby as well but having waded through the various types of ruby, coupled with your warnings, my brain started to ache, on top of which, the informal quote I received, to make a 1ct ruby solitaire, was as close to £1000 as makes no difference.

I adore spinels BUT not only have they become much more difficult to find (the run on Mahenge Spinels has really increased spinel awareness in general) but red spinels are like rocking horse poo! You can find red ones that black out in certain lighting conditions (not good) but ones that resemble rubies are probably the same price as rubies as they are soooooooo rare! I have a tiny 1ct one that is stoplight red BUT goes much darker in some lights so I haven't bothered to set it.

£1k for a 1ct ruby solitaire is actually a good price if it's natural and unheated! Even heated that would be a good price. If I were going to buy a Ruby I would ONLY buy from a lapidarist and would insist on a lab report from AGL. I posted once in the Drop details of lapidarists and it might be worth looking there and searching their websites.

Unfortunately red in ANY gemstone tends to increase price dramatically! So, if you find one you love buy it!!!