Ruby and Sapphire Discoveries in East Africa

GIA field gemologist presents at Gemstone Gathering on Dec. 26 in Bangkok
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Dec. 17, 2012 – East Africa has been a well-known source for rubies and sapphires since rubies were discovered near Longido in Tanzania in the early 20th century. Vincent Pardieu, GIA’s supervisor of field gemology in Bangkok, recently returned from a three-month research expedition in the region and will discuss the ruby and sapphire trade in East Africa at the next GIA Gemstone Gathering in Bangkok on Dec. 26.Pardieu will address the history of ruby and sapphire mining in East Africa, the current market for these gems and their future prospects. Discoveries of new sources for these gems have been made well into the 21st century, and Pardieu predicts that important ruby and sapphire discoveries may appear in the mostly unexplored gem rich rock areas between the Zambezi River and south of Egypt or in Madagascar.
Today, the majority of rubies available in the Chanthaburi and Bangkok markets, the world’s main ruby trading centers, were mined in northern Mozambique, while Madagascar and Sri Lanka are the main sources of blue, pink and yellow sapphires.
Pardieu specializes in the origin determination of gemstones and has visited numerous gemstone-producing areas in South East Asia, Central Asia and East Africa and particularly the Ilakaka–Sakaraha sapphire deposits of southern Madagascar over the past decade. He has spent his career in leadership positions with gemological laboratories around the world, including in Thailand and Switzerland. His research and expertise have been the catalyst for numerous articles in GIA’s Gems & Gemology and various trade publications.
GIA’s Gemstone Gathering, a free event, begins at 6 p.m. on Dec. 26 in the “Crowne Room 1-3” on the 21st floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel (formerly known as the Pan Pacific), Lumpini Park in Bangkok.