Gem lore is filled with legends from exotic locales whose stories reach far back into prehistory. However, the modern world of gems has now expanded to nearly every corner of the globe bringing exciting opportunities for collectors. In this fast-paced environment, today’s discovery can become a new “classic” within the span of only a few years.

The discovery of exceptional ruby deposits on the African continent has drastically expanded the market for this revered gem. Arguably, Mozambique has played the biggest role in changing opinions and stones sourced from here now grace the finest jewels in current brand collections. Renowned for the purity of their red hue combined with stones of relatively large size and remarkable clarity, the best of Mozambique has come to rival historic stones from every source.

While noted for their extraordinary color, rubies from most African locales as well as other sources such as Thailand can provide ideal red hues without the characteristic fluorescence of their Burmese “Pigeons Blood” red counterparts. Given their emerging importance in today’s international ruby market, the esteemed Gübelin gem laboratory felt it was only proper to provide a superlative for the finest of these stones. They created the coveted “Crimson Red” moniker for those select few stones that embody a pure red hue allowing for a very slight amount of purple together with a high degree of clarity and a lively appearance created through precise cutting. The present stone has been given the “Crimson Red” award and is a wonderful representative of this now Classic source.