Ruby

Responsibly sourced rubies from Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Rubies are corundum, and by definition, red, coloured by the presence of chromium.

Nineteen48 works directly with a trusted network of miners and suppliers to ensure all rubies are sourced through a fair and transparent supply chain.

Rubies are a popular gemstone, one of the "Big Three" of precious stones.

Red corundum is ruby, however there is no official classification for this. If you are looking for a red ruby or a pink sapphire, do broaden your search to look for both.

Nineteen48 rubies are responsibly sourced from Sri Lankan mines through a long-established network of local Sri Lankan miners, with whom strong and trusted relationships have been developed over the years.

The majority of the rubies here are from the Rubyfair project and were sourced from a community mine that operated near Mahenge in Tanzania. These stones have not undergone any heat treatment or other enhancements.

The Rubyfair project has now finished therefore the selection of Rubyfair gems on this website are the last remaining stones.

The Rubyfair project was a community-run, artisanal mine located near the famous town of Mahenge in south-central Tanzania. The mine ran for a number of years and produced a good quantity of ruby and spinel. It has now ceased operation.

Established in the UK by Gary Roberts, Rubyfair pioneered a fully traceable supply of gemstones from mine to retailer from 2008 - 2016.

The project began a community-level, gemstone mining partnership near Mahenge in Tanzania that connected the artisanal miners directly with UK jewellers. The mine produced both rubies and spinels, which are sold untreated.

Since 2017, Nineteen48 has overseen the sale of Rubyfair stones, so that the brand could maintain its strict ethical stance. These commitments include fair compensation, safe working conditions, environmental land reclamation, a total ban on child labour and supporting local mining communities.