In Europe the Swiss field of Campolungo has supplied good quality pink stones. Beautiful gemstones also come from the alluvial fields of Sri Lanka (Ratnapura and Elahera), Jegdalek in Afghanistan and Luc Yen in Vietnam. The most beautiful rubies come from the gemmiferous alluvium of Mogok, Myanmar (formerly Burma) where the pigeon's blood crystals can reach 5 cm, associated with sapphires and spinels. Synthetic rubies are also an essential part of lasers.

The crystals of beautiful shapes and beautiful color are very rare and sought after by collectors.

Today rubies are always in demand in jewelry where the most beautiful stones can reach huge prices. Rubies, just like sapphires, were supposed to bring happiness and possess many virtues as varied as 'purifying blood, resisting venom, fortifying the heart, chasing melancholy.' These triennial beliefs will only begin to be scratched only in 1696, in the universal dictionary of simple drugs of Nicolas Léméry. In addition to the poetic aspect, these texts are of historical value, testifying to the strong presence of the rubies in the Indian culture in those times which precede the Christian era. Since the night has come, the banks of the rivers are illuminated by these sparkling gemstone. The great Indian poetic epic of Ramayana relates the birth of rubies, considered as drops of divine blood fallen in the Queen of Rivers. Ruby is a highly esteemed gemstone since immemorial times. The crystals adopt forms of acute or truncated pyramids, short prisms, rarely lamellar, barrels with sometimes striated faces. The ruby is usually rough hexagonal crystals with rounded faces. This mineral owes its name to the Latin ' rubeus', in relation to its color. The ruby occurs mainly in alluvium (so-called 'gemmifera'), the primary deposits being metamorphic limestones or aluminous enclaves of volcanic rocks. The most appreciated variety, known as 'pigeon's blood', is of an vivid red, color however rarely homogeneous within the same crystal. More chromium containt is important and more the ruby will be red and also fluorescent (however the fluorescence is also inhibited by the presence of iron). The red hue results from the presence of chromium in traces (usually less than 1%), in substitution of aluminum.

Ruby is a corundum variety, with a red color.

Rough rubies and sapphires