Luc Yen Gemstone Market
Vietnam gemstone

Map of Vietnam showing the location of gemstone occurrences.

In the late 1980s, reports emerge from Vietnam of a major discovery of high quality rubies in the northern part of the country, from deposits in the Luc Yen and Yen Bai areas. Ruby occurred in colluvial and alluvial sediments, and the primary source of ruby was suspected to be marble and pegmatite. Placer deposits of ruby were recovered by farmers during routine agricultural activities. Following the discovery of ruby in Luc Yen in 1987, others occurrences of gemstones were found in Thuong Xuan (aquamarine and topaz), Co Phuong (jadeite, nephrite), Thach Khoan (beryl, quartz), Quy Chau (ruby) and in the Dak Lak and Binh Thuan provinces (sapphire). After these discoveries, gemstone exploitation really started in 1988 with the establishment of Vinagemco by the government—a state-owned company for the investigation, mining, processing, and trading of gem materials in Vietnam. The purpose of this paper is to realize an overview of the gemstones occurrences in Vietnam with a special dedication to ruby and sapphire.

 Geological map of Yen Bai area with locations of ruby and sapphire deposits.

Yen Bai mining district (Some 270km from Hanoi to North West Mountains)

The primary corundum occurrences of Yen Bai occur within the high-grade metamorphic gneisses of the Day Nui Con Voi range (Pham Van 1996, 2003), which extends to the southeast from the Ailao Shan in Yunnan (China). This range is bounded by lateral strike-slip faults forming the major Cenozoic geological discontinuity in East Asia known as the Ailao Shan-Red River shear zone (Phan Trong et al. 1998, 1999, Leloup et al. 2001). The Day Nui Con Voi range is composed of high-grade metamorphic rocks with sillimanite-biotite-garnet gneisses, mica-schists with local alternation of marbles and amphibolites.

The ruby called Star of Vietnam weighing 2.58 kg that was found in the Tan Huong mine.

The gem deposits are placers exploited along the shear zone as in Tan Huong and Truc Lau. In Tan Huong (Yen binh District, Yen Bai), ruby was found and exploited by local farmers in 1994. In 1996, the deposit was managed and exploited by the Vietnam National Gem and Gold Corporation. From 1994 to 1996, hundreds kilograms of rubies and star rubies were exploited illegally and sold to foreign dealers. The area is composed of metamorphic gneiss, micaceous-quartz schist, marble and amphibolite of the Nui Voi complex that have been intruded by granites, syenites and pegmatite dykes. Ruby and spinel have been found in the magmatic rocks in minor grains as well as in marbles. In placers, ruby grains are eroded but the crystals present a prismatic shape, are from 1.0 to 19 mm long, and range in colour from red to reddish and purplish to red. The main associated gem mineral are red and octahedral spinels and blue trapiche-like sapphires. In April 1997, two ruby crystals of 2.58 kg and 1.96 kg (star ruby) respectively, of very high quality, were found and declared State treasure.

car trip from yen the township to An Phu gemstone mines

local people in Minh Tien village who are digging their garden for searching gemstones
these 2 guys have digged for around 2 meters deep and they already found one big tourmaline and small spinel (they had shared with us for sale)

Climb up the An Phu gemstone mountains to visit one of mining area can be very difficult in some parts


 

One of the gemstone mines in An Phu mountains
 

a gemstone mine in An Phu Mountains
 

a washing tank for searching gemstone in An Phu mines

 
A tent in An Phu gemstone mine where the local miners will work during raining days (quite a lot of rain in summer season)
 

Some gemstones from local An Phu Miners, they had shared with us what they got from their morning work.
 

Here are the small gemstone that i found just in 10 minutes from a washed sand dunes in An phu mines

Yen The Township is a small town and surrounding with marble mountains

Yen The township - Luc Yen

Local market
Luc Yen is not only famous with Organ fruits, but also famous with star ruby

There is many gemstone shops in Yen The Township

There is many gemstone shops in Yen The Township

There is many gemstone shops in Yen The Township and offer with large choices of local luc yen ruby and spinel

There is many gemstone shops in Yen The Township and offer with large choices of local luc yen ruby and spinel

With local ruby craft man who work at their shops
Cutting and Polishing gemstone, ruby

Some local are breaking off the stones to find the ruby that they expect still inside the jaw stones

Just take a walk along the ruby shops area, you will meet with many local ruby traders who wish to show you some rare and high quality ruby or spinel from Luc Yen gemstone mines that they are having.
This man is a local hotel owner, also a ruby trader who having been in ruby business in Luc Yen for over 27years now.
He is also a ruby shop owner in Yen The Township (some ruby that value up 60.000$ can be found in his shop)

Some star ruby with high quality from An Phu ruby mines and its value of 5000$

Sunset over the peace township of Yen the

Luc Yen Gemstone Market - Yen The Township, the market open for trading at 08.00 am and close by 11.00 or a bit later
The market will become more crowdy at around 10.00 am when some more ruby mine owners from surrounding mountains appears

A gemstone shop at Luc Yen Gemstone Market - Yen The Township
Each shop owner will have a small table of 50 cm x 80 cm

Ruby and other gemstone at Luc Yen Market
Many are the normal gemstone for decoration, but some are high quality such as star ruby

Ruby and other gemstone at Luc Yen Market

Ruby and other gemstone at Luc Yen Market

Ruby and other gemstone at Luc Yen Market
Some are the jaw gemstones, ruby

This is a fine spinel stone, value up 600$

Gem-quality rubies and pink sapphires from Luc Yen deposits.

Some gemstone shop owner will sale with a collection
the front line with 7 pieces (ruby) with good quality, a local shop owner had selected and placed in a collection
she wishs to sale this ruby collection for a whole sale prices (around 3500 $ for whole 7pieces)

 

Ruby and other gemstone at Luc Yen Market

Ruby and other gemstone at Luc Yen Market

Some ruby traders from a foreign country

Some ruby traders from other bigger cities such as Ha Noi, Hai phong, HCM city
They often deal directly with some ruby mine owners, they are all experts in ruby fields

The ruby traders alway wear on their head with this type of special glass, they walk around and check from one to other shops
so, can be recognized from a tourist (with just camera on hands)
 

The lake is just behide the Ruby Market with the marble mountains (also ruby mines) scenery

How do i find a local hotel?

Luc Yen Hotels- Hong Ngoc Hotel

This hotel is just so convenient to talk to the Luc Yen Gemstone Market, just 10 meter from the market

Luc Yen Hotels - Hong Ngoc Hotel at Yen The Township

Luc Yen Hotels - Hong Ngoc Hotel at Yen The Township

Luc Yen Hotels - Hong Ngoc Hotel at Yen The Township

Luc Yen Hotels - Hong Ngoc Hotel at Yen The Township
Some bigger deluxe room with flat TV, AC and room rates around 40$/ room/ night (there is no breakfast serving)

Luc Yen Hotels - Hong Ngoc Hotel at Yen The Township
Some deluxe rooms for two people or triple room, room rates also around 40$/ night (no breakfast) and can book through Vietnam pathfinder before you come, to make sure that rooms are available for your stay.
There is not many local hotels in this small town, so they can be fully booked any time.

Pho - Noodle soup with beef for breakfast at Luc yen
This type of breakfast is popular in Vietnam and just 300 meter from the hotel, you can find a local restaurant for your breakfast

A very rustic Pho noodle soup restaurant that serve for local people
They serve Pho with beef and with pork
For your lunch and dinner, also very easy to find a local restaurant that they will serve with some local Vietnamese meals such as steamed rice, fried fish, roasted pork and special with roasted chicken.
Around 25 $ can have a good meals for 2 people share. 

A forgein tourist with Vietnam Pathfinder tour guide with a local person (must come with a local person)
to explore the An Phu Gemstone mines, the shortest trip can be one day.

We provide private car rental to Luc Yen Gemstone Market
Please contact us for further detais of this special trip at : info@vietnampathfinder.com
Or whatsapp: (084) 913323977 ( Mr Pham)