HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam – Vietnamese rubies, subject to different geological formations and greater pressure than Cambodian rubies, tend to be smaller and have more inclusions but excellent exceptions have been reported, says geologist Nguyen Anh Tuan, also a gemstone expert at Saigon Jewelry Enterprise.

            “The quality of rubies has just been surveyed. At the beginning, some people say the quality of our rubies is not equal to the Cambodian ruby. But now gem dealers say the quality is as gook and to judge from the m\number of people who come here and buy from us,” said Tuan, also the first person to discover blue sapphires in central Lam Dong province in 1986

            Vietnamese come to Saigon Jewelry Enterprise to sell rough rubies, where Tuan says he has seen no more than four “shades of red” native to this country. Rubies were discovered some three years ago, in the provinces of Hoang Lien Son and Lam Dong.

            In an interview, Tuan said the Thais have bought some rubies but of very small scale. SJE would like to do more business with the European countries, namely France and Switzerland, he added.

            Saigon Jewelry Enterprise already does opal carvings of the Eight immortals for an Australian company.