Rubies from Kenya

Another member of the Mozambique orogenic belt, Kenya’s mining history only dates back to the 1970s. Like Madagascar, Kenya is able to produce basalt and marble hosted rubies of gem quality.

Appearance of Kenya Rubies

Photo by Ted Themelis

While Kenya has deposits of cabochon and facet-grade ruby material, they are a minor producer on the world market.

The appearance and inclusions observed in rubies from Kenya can be similar to other marble-hosted rubies like from Myanmar (formerly Burma) and the Luc Yen area of Vietnam depending on which area is being mined. They can be distinguished with lab-grade equipment to detect trace elements in the chemical composition of these rubies.