e a strong fluorescence when exposed to UV rays. Thailand is also a significant source of rubies. Over 80% over the world’s rubies passthrough Thailand at some point in the trading cycle. The rubies mined from Thailandtend to be a darker red, and are popular here in the U.S. Chanthaburi has the world’slargest ruby cutting factories, and Bangkok is generally where the world’s buyers go topurchase rubies. In 1992 a new ruby mine was found in Vietnam. The quality of thesestones is comparable to those in Myanmar, and it is believed that this mine may simplybe a continuation of the deposit in India. Rubies have also been found in Madagascar,Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania, Kampuchea, and evenNorth Carolina.The ruby has been admired by man since Biblical times. It has been said to bethe most precious of the twelve stones that God created at the time of Creation, andthat this “lord of gems” was placed on Aaron’s neck by God’s command. The Biblesays that “Wisdom is more precious than rubies”, which shows that they wereconsidered to be very valuable. The intensity of the color of a ruby can be like that of aglowing coal, and was probably the most intensely colored object early man ever saw. They saw them as continually burning fires that never went out, and considered them tohave magical powers. Colored stones have been a symbol of love since ancient Egypt. Ruby, the color of the heart, has historically symbolized love, passion, virility, andsexual desire. Rubies have also been a cause for greed and even warfare. The Britishtook over Burma during the mid-1800s in the third Burmese campaign when they heardthat the French were about to sign for exclusive mining rights of the ruby mines there. They then, of course, had control of the rubies. Rubies became very popular again inmodern times when the Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was auctioned in Apri...
