Ruby Bead is among the rarest of all the major precious stones, with only a handful of sources producing facet qualities in any commercial quantity. An approximate ranking of important ruby origins is given below. This applies only for the finest untreated qualities from each source and is but a general approximation. In other words, a top-quality Thai/Cambodian ruby can be worth far more than a poor Burma stone.
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| Thai / Cambodian Ruby Bead |
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| Burma Ruby Bead |
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Thai/Cambodian vs. Burma-type rubies. Due to their lack of both fluorescence and light-scattering inclusions, Thai/Cambodian rubies (left) tend to appear darker and more garnet-like. At right, the Mogok ruby displays far greater color coverage.