Rubies from Vietnam

 

 

 

The gem trade was stunned in the late 1980s by the discovery of rubies in Vietnam. In what surely must rank as the discovery of the century, tin and gold miners found rubies of a fine color at Luc Yen, north-west of Hanoi in 1986. Then one year later, stones of the similar color were found at Quy Chau, in Nghe An Province, west of the provincial seat of Vinh. Vietnam which had never previously been known for gemstones, suddenly found itself with what many experts believe are the two finest ruby mines in the world. Vietnamese Rubies have radiance in the dark vibrant red color and dazzling lively brilliance that take your breath away.  Most rubies are transparent and boast of a good pink to dark red color.

 

 

 

Star rubies from Vietnam

 

Star rubies from Vietnam have excellent fine 6-ray stars which are quite distinct and easily visible. The color ranges from pink to dark pink. Among star rubies, Vietnamese ones are known to be one of the finest qualities available. Vietnamese Star Rubies have very tiny, microscopic rutile needles, which allows it to have a sharp 6-ray star without displaying a milky or silvery surface appearance. Vietnam Star Rubies are becoming rarer by the day and are difficult to find.

 

 

Color and Quality

 

About 30% of the rubies and pink sapphires mined from Vietnam are of facetable grade and yield cut stones up to the size of 2-3 Carats. About 40% is medium quality, suitable only for cabochons, while 30% is of low quality. Vietnam rubies are striking in their similarity to those from Myanmar, except that, unbelievably enough, they tend to be of better clarity than the Mogok stones. Stones of Luc Yen are derived from a crystalline limestone, while those in Quy Chau come from either pegmatites or limestone. Each source produces rubies with small blue patches and zones, similar to rubies from Jagdalek, Afganistan. At Luc Yen are found rubies ranging from the lightest pink to a rich intense red, as well as some off-red spinels and blue spinels.
 

 

Areas where Rubies are found in Vietnam

 

Rubies are found in areas like Quy Chau, Luc Yen, Yen Bai, deposits of Doi Ty, Doi San, Mo Coi and Quy Hop areas. The most recent ruby deposits in Vietnam were discovered in southern Vietnam at Quy Chau, around 1990 and this discovery turned the area from one of the poorest in Vietnam to a boomtown very quickly.

 

 

 

 

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Vietnamese Rubies & Star Rubies from our stock...

3.16-Carat High-Grade Unheated Ruby from Vietnam (IGI-Certified)

3.15-Carat Ultra Rare Bi-Color Ruby Cabochon from Vietnam (AIGS)

3.98-Carat Extremely Rare Deep Red Double-Star Ruby (Vietnamese)

2.45-Carat Pinkish Red Ruby Cabochon from Vietnam (AIGS)

2.12-Carat Excellent Purplish Red Star Ruby from Vietnam (AIGS)

4.18-Carat Pleasing Orangish Pink Ruby from Vietnam

4.85-Carat Lovely Pinkish Red Star Ruby from Vietnam

 More:

Star Rubies from Vietnam

Faceted Rubies from Vietnam

Vietnamese Ruby Cabochons