Mozambique now produces the most rubies by volume; Myanmar produces the finest. What ruby is, where it comes from, and why sanctions follow the best stones.
Last updated: October 2026
Ruby is red corundum — aluminum oxide coloured by chromium — and the most valuable coloured gemstone per carat at top quality. Mozambique now produces the most by volume from the Montepuez mine. Myanmar's Mogok valley produces the finest, the famed 'pigeon's blood' stones — and they carry sanctions.
| # | Country | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mozambique | ~40% |
| 2 | Burma | ~20% |
| 3 | Thailand | Small |
| 4 | Madagascar | Small |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | Small |
| 6 | Vietnam | Small |
Gemstone production shares by volume, approximate (GIA; USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 — Gemstones). Gemstone volumes are estimated; value shares differ sharply from volume shares.
Ruby is the red variety of corundum, aluminum oxide coloured by trace chromium. It scores 9 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamond, and the finest stones — deep red with a slight blue undertone, called 'pigeon's blood' — command the highest prices of any coloured gemstone.
Jewellery, overwhelmingly. Industrial uses include watch bearings, precision instruments, and lasers — the first laser ever built, in 1960, used a ruby crystal.
Mozambique, with roughly 40% of world ruby production by volume (GIA estimates), from the Montepuez mine operated by Gemfields — the world's largest ruby mine. Myanmar's Mogok valley produces the finest stones.
China produces negligible ruby. It is, however, a major cutting centre and a growing consumer market for fine gemstones, including Burmese rubies that reach Chinese buyers through Thailand.
Low for industrial use; High for premium gems. Watch bearings and lasers need little ruby. But the finest stones come from one valley in a sanctioned country, and no other source matches Mogok quality — so the top of the market is genuinely constrained.
Ruby is red corundum, the most valuable coloured gemstone per carat at top quality. Mozambique produces the most by volume from Montepuez; Myanmar's Mogok valley produces the finest 'pigeon's blood' stones. After the 2021 coup, Western sanctions cut Mogok stones out of Western markets.
Ruby is the red variety of corundum, aluminum oxide coloured by trace chromium. It scores 9 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamond, and the finest stones — deep red with a slight blue undertone, called 'pigeon's blood' — command the highest prices of any coloured gemstone.
Jewellery, overwhelmingly. Industrial uses include watch bearings, precision instruments, and lasers — the first laser ever built, in 1960, used a ruby crystal.
Mozambique, with roughly 40% of world ruby production by volume (GIA estimates), from the Montepuez mine operated by Gemfields — the world's largest ruby mine. Myanmar's Mogok valley produces the finest stones.
