Two colours of the same stone
Ruby is red corundum and sapphire is corundum in every other colour — blue, pink, yellow, green, white, and the padparadscha oranges. Same mineral, same hardness, and second only to diamond for it. That is why both are good stones to own and good stones to work on.
What comes in most
- Ring sizing, with the stone checked before and after.
- A loose stone tightened in its setting.
- Prongs retipped or rebuilt, common on older pieces.
- A missing side stone matched and replaced.
- Class rings and birthstone rings, which is a lot of what we see.
- Resetting into a new mount — an inherited stone into something you would actually wear.
Matching a colour is the hard part
Hardness is not the challenge with these. Colour is. Blue sapphire runs from pale grey-blue to deep royal, and ruby runs from pink-red to dark. A replacement has to sit next to the others and look like it belongs, which means comparing stones in hand rather than off a list.
Heat and treatments
Most rubies and sapphires on the market have been heat treated, which is normal and stable. A few have other treatments that do not like a torch. If you know anything about the stone's history, mention it at the counter — and if you do not, we will look at it before deciding how to work the piece.
Bring it in and we will look at it
Every piece is different and coloured stones especially so. Put it on the counter, tell us what has happened, and we will tell you what we see and what we would do about it. You decide from there, before anything is agreed.
Questions we get asked
Can a sapphire ring be sized?
Yes. Sapphire is tough and sizes well. We check the stone before and after.
Can you replace a missing ruby?
Usually. Matching the colour to the others is the part that takes care, and we do it with stones in hand.
Can you reset an inherited sapphire into a new ring?
Yes, and it is one of our favourite jobs. Bring the piece and your ideas.
Are ruby and sapphire the same stone?
The same mineral, corundum. Red is ruby, every other colour is sapphire.
Will you tell me what you find before doing any work?
Always. We look at it with you at the counter, tell you what we see, and you decide.
Not sure we can fix it?
Send a couple of details and we will call you back. Or just walk in — it is quicker, and we can actually look at the piece.
Drop it off, shop the mall, wear it tonight
We are inside Orland Square Mall in Orland Park. Walk in during mall hours, no appointment. Most repairs are finished the same day and a good number while you wait.
Where we are
Julio's Jewelry, 800 Orland Square Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462 — inside Orland Square Mall. Mon–Thu 10am–8pm · Fri–Sat 10am–9pm · Sun 11am–6pm. We are also at North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 W Cermak Rd, North Riverside, IL 60546.