The Odyssey of a Greenlandic Gem
Explore how our gems came to shine so brightly!
Colored Gemstones have always fascinated us! There’s something so mysterious, and also unbelievable, when you think of what it took for our Earth to create such Treasures. Some buried underground, some found in shallow waters or streams, some scattered in sandy plains or rocky outcrops – we’re all enticed by a gemstone’s color, beauty and radiance.
Who knew that beneath all the ice and snow in Greenland, a red and pink treasure would be discovered? Buried for nearly 3 billion years, these icy gems are being un-earthed at a pristine location in the southwest of the country. Keep reading for the full story of how our responsibly sourced Greenlandic rubies and pink sapphires came to shine so brightly.
Hi-Tech Operation
Despite being the oldest gemstones on earth, Greenland Ruby is one of the newest, most modern and sophisticated colored gem mining operation in the world. Greenland Ruby gems are found in Aappaluttoq, {Ah-puh-lu-tok} meaning ‘Red’ in Greenlandic, named after the red rock formations clearly visible in this Arctic landscape.
After mining, each piece is carefully cleaned, sorted and separated at our state-of-the-art processing plant. Rough crystals are now ready to undergo treatment, and be cut and polished into a variety of shapes and sizes.
Heat Treatment
Like most rubies and sapphires, Greenland Ruby gems undergo heat treatment to bring out their best attributes and to create stability to responsibly cut, polish and set these gems into jewelry. Heat treatment with borax is done in Thailand, where gemstone treatments have been practiced and perfected over generations. Thailand is also the world’s capital of ruby trade and expertise.
Given the nature of the hard-rock deposit, as well as the primordial age of the rubies and pink sapphires from Greenland, the tiny fractures commonly found within these ancient gems are the consequences of their incredible journey through time and temperature and respond very favorably toward heating with Borax.
Traceability – How We Do It!
Greenland Ruby is one of the most sophisticated colored gemstone mining operations, and was set up to be a leader in our industry with traceability and transparency as part of our mine-to-market program. Each gem is tracked and traced from the mine and comes with a Certificate of Origin or a Card of Authenticity which is approved by the Government of Greenland.
Every parcel of Greenland Ruby rough is given a number, and the gems produced subsequently from that parcel are given their own unique numbers that link back to the original – almost like a family-tree. The gem’s unique numbers remain with each ruby and pink sapphire throughout their journey including heat treatment, cutting, sorting and jewelry manufacturing.
RubyCloud™
RubyCloud™ is Greenland Ruby’s online marketplace accessible 24/7, and allows registered users to browse and buy faceted and cabochon rubies and pink sapphires from the comfort of their offices. RubyCloud™ is constantly updated as each new Greenland Ruby gem becomes available for sale, and features 360-degree video and hi-res, “true-to-the-eye” photos.
If you haven’t already registered, please do here. RubyCloud™ is strictly B-to B.
