Rubies & sapphires

Rubies & Sapphires

Buy natural ruby in our gem shop

Buy natural sapphire in our gem shop

Ruby

A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires. Ruby is one of the traditional cardinal gems, together with amethyst, sapphire, emerald, and diamond.

The word ruby comes from ruber, Latin for red. The color of a ruby is due to the element chromium.The quality of a ruby is determined by its color, cut, and clarity, which, along with carat weight, affect its value. The brightest and most valuable shade of red called blood-red or pigeon blood, commands a large premium over other rubies of similar quality.

Sapphire

Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide (α-Al2O3). It is typically blue, but natural fancy sapphires also occur in yellow, purple, orange, and green colors, parti sapphires show two or more colors.

The only color which sapphire cannot be is red as red colored corundum is called ruby, another corundum variety. Pink colored corundum may be either classified as ruby or sapphire depending on locale. This variety in color is due to trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, copper, or magnesium.

Rubies & sapphires from Pailin Cambodia

Pailin is a province in western Cambodia at the northern edge of the Cardamom Mountains near the border of Thailand. This province is surrounded by Battambang Province, and was officially carved out of Battambang to become a separate administrative division after the surrender of the Ieng Sary faction of the Khmer Rouge in 1996.

Pailin is known to much of the world for having long been a stronghold of the Khmer Rouge, remaining under their control long after they were defeated in 1979 and serving from 1994 to 1998 as the capital of the Provisional Government of National Union and National Salvation of Cambodia. Within Cambodia Pailin is known for its natural resources, namely, precious gems and timber.

Rubies & Sapphires, from Pailin, Cambodia

Natural rubies & sapphires for sale in our gem shop