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