| An approximate ranking of important ruby
| |
| | mainly fine blue sapphires and pinks. But
|
| origins is given below. This applies only
| |
| | now two important ruby deposits have been
|
| for the finest untreated qualities from
| |
| | discovered. The first is about 10-30 km.
|
| each source and is but a general
| |
| | inland from the coastal town of
|
| approximation. In other words, a
| |
| | Vatomandry, while the second is roughly
|
| top-quality Thai/Cambodian ruby can be
| |
| | 45-70 km. from the town of Andilamena.
|
| worth far more than a poor Mogok stone.
| |
| | Vatomandry is said to produce the
|
| Mogok, Burma
| |
| | better-quality stone, being lighter and
|
| Sri Lanka
| |
| | brighter (more reminiscent of Burma),
|
| Madagascar
| |
| | while the Andilamena stone is somewhat
|
| Nanyazeik, Burma
| |
| | darker and not as clean. Rutile silk seen
|
| Everything else
| |
| | in some pieces suggests that star stones
|
| Mogok
| |
| | may be forthcoming. Much of the material
|
| When we talk ruby, we talk Burma. For
| |
| | from both deposits is heat-treated.
|
| connoisseurs, no other will do. In the
| |
| | It is still too early to properly rank
|
| days of yore, matters were simple. Burma
| |
| | Madagascar in the ruby world, but the
|
| meant Mogok. This storied deposit was
| |
| | stones I have seen so far suggest that
|
| known for over 1000 years as the home of
| |
| | there is great promise.
|
| the finest ruby on the planet.
| |
| | Vietnam
|
| While Mogok is the traditional source of
| |
| | Beginning in the late-1980's, fine ruby
|
| the world's finest rubies, good stones
| |
| | began pouring out of two different
|
| are rare even from this fabled area.
| |
| | deposits in Vietnam. Although Vietnam's
|
| Pigeon's blood was the term used to
| |
| | ruby originates from two different mining
|
| describe the finest Mogok stones, but has
| |
| | areas, Luc Yen (north of Hanoi) and Quy
|
| little meaning today, as so few people
| |
| | Chau (south of Hanoi), both sources
|
| have seen this bird's blood.
| |
| | display similar characteristics.
|
| Mogok-type rubies possess not just red
| |
| | There's nothing like time to put things
|
| body color, but, by a freak of nature,
| |
| | in perspective. In the late 1980's,
|
| red fluorescence, too. In addition, the
| |
| | Vietnamese ruby literally exploded on the
|
| best stones contain tiny amounts of
| |
| | world gem market. The best Vietnamese
|
| light-scattering rutile silk. It is this
| |
| | ruby approaches fine Mogok, but since the
|
| combination of features that gives these
| |
| | early 1990's most have tended towards
|
| rubies their incomparable crimson glow.
| |
| | pink. Today, little facet-quality is
|
| In Mogok rubies, the color often occurs
| |
| | produced, and even the cabochon material
|
| in rich patches and swirls, and color
| |
| | rarely competes with that available from
|
| zoning can occasionally be a problem. The
| |
| | MA?Ag Hsu. Some pinkish star material
|
| shape of Mogok ruby rough generally
| |
| | is also produced.
|
| yields well-proportioned stones.
| |
| | Kenya & Tanzania
|
| In addition to faceted stones, the Mogok
| |
| | Stones from these sources are magnificent
|
| Stone Tract also produces the world's
| |
| | when clean, but facet-grade material is
|
| finest star rubies.
| |
| | rare. Like Burma, much of this material
|
| Mang Hsu
| |
| | is strongly fluorescent. Star stones are
|
| When the Mang Hsu deposit came on stream
| |
| | not produced from these deposits.
|
| in 1992-93, it took the ruby world by the
| |
| | One specific deposit is worth mentioning.
|
| storm. Suddenly, we were awash in a sea
| |
| | Beginning in the mid-1990's, mines near
|
| of red the likes of which had never been
| |
| | Songea began to produce material with a
|
| seen before. And fine stone it was, too.
| |
| | dark, garnety color veering towards
|
| This was not the garnet-like hue of
| |
| | orange. While this material is ruby of a
|
| Thailand, but a rich, fluorescent red.
| |
| | sort, it is marginal due to its high Fe
|
| In 1992, the Mang Hsu (Maing Hsu) deposit
| |
| | content.
|
| in Burma's Shan State began producing
| |
| | Afghanistan
|
| good material. This has continued to the
| |
| | Jagdalek has produced rubies that rank
|
| present, so much so that close to 90% of
| |
| | with fine Mogok stones, but facetable
|
| the fine cab and facet-grade ruby in the
| |
| | material is in short supply. Similar to
|
| world market is from this deposit. But
| |
| | Vietnamese rubies, many of these stones
|
| most cut stones are under two carats.
| |
| | contain small areas of blue color. They
|
| Mang Hsu material can be extremely fine,
| |
| | are also strongly fluorescent, and if the
|
| but virtually all is heat treated, and
| |
| | deposit ever produces clean material,
|
| most is also flux-healed.
| |
| | watch out. No star stones here.
|
| Nanyazeik (Nayazeik)
| |
| | Thailand/Cambodia
|
| In the past year or so, rubies have
| |
| | This material's main attribute is its
|
| started to come out of Nanyazeik in
| |
| | high clarity, but the flat crystal shapes
|
| Burma's Kachin State. I did see one fine
| |
| | generally yield overly shallow stones.
|
| purplish red piece from this deposit on
| |
| | Due to the high iron content, which
|
| my last trip to Burma in June, 2001. Only
| |
| | quenches fluorescence, most stones tend
|
| time will tell whether Nanyazeik has the
| |
| | to have a garnet-red color. An additional
|
| makings of an important source. Other
| |
| | problem is the total lack of
|
| than ruby, Nanyazeik has produced some
| |
| | light-scattering silk inclusions (star
|
| super red spinels, equal to anything from
| |
| | stones are not found). Although heat
|
| Mogok.
| |
| | treatment does make improvements, it is
|
| Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
| |
| | not enough. In Thai/Cambodian rubies,
|
| The classic case of giving a dog a bad
| |
| | only those facets where light is totally
|
| name. Some of the world's finest rubies
| |
| | internally reflected will be a rich red;
|
| have come from Sri Lanka's gem gravels,
| |
| | the others appear blackish, as with red
|
| but because of the erroneous "pink
| |
| | garnets. Thai stones are actually less
|
| sapphire" moniker, they have been largely
| |
| | purple than most Burmese rubies. However,
|
| overlooked. Top-grade Sri Lankan reds are
| |
| | Burma-type rubies appear red all over the
|
| virtually indistinguishable from their
| |
| | stone. Not only is a rich red seen in the
|
| Mogok brethren, but most tend towards
| |
| | areas where total internal reflection
|
| purple or pink. As with Sri Lanka
| |
| | occurs, but due to the red fluorescence
|
| sapphires, color accumulates in large
| |
| | and light-scattering silk, other facets
|
| stones and so they can be quite
| |
| | are also red.
|
| magnificent in sizes of five carats or
| |
| | With the decline in Burma production
|
| more. Due to the bipyramidal shape of the
| |
| | during the 1962-1990 period, the market
|
| rough, many stones are cut with overly
| |
| | became conditioned to Thai/Cambodian
|
| deep pavilions. Sri Lankan ruby is
| |
| | rubies, with some people actually tending
|
| strongly fluorescent and stars are
| |
| | to prefer them (in the land of the blind,
|
| common.
| |
| | the one-eyed man is king). Thai/Cambodian
|
| Madagascar
| |
| | rubies are acceptable only when good
|
| When I was teaching gemology in Bangkok,
| |
| | material from the Burma-type sources is
|
| I used to point to an island off the
| |
| | not available. Today, production from the
|
| coast of Africa and inform my students
| |
| | Thai side of the border is zero, and that
|
| that, if they wanted to hunt gems, this
| |
| | from Cambodia is negligible. One
|
| would be a great place to start. Known in
| |
| | occasionally hears statements about how
|
| olden times as the "Beryl Island"
| |
| | Cambodian stones are superior to those
|
| Madagascar was long considered
| |
| | from across the border in Thailand. This
|
| mineralogical nirvana. And today, it is
| |
| | is untrue. The deposits are essentially
|
| equally known for its gem wealth.
| |
| | one, directly straddling the border.
|
| Prior to this year, Madagascar produced
| |
| |
|
