About Greenland Ruby | Sustainably Sourced Rubies & Pink Sapphires

About Greenland Ruby

In May 2017, Greenland Ruby A/S officially opened its ruby and pink sapphire mining operation in Aappaluttoq, in southwest Greenland, 160 kilometers south of Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. Greenland Ruby was awarded a mining and exploration license by the Greenlandic government in 2016 and is the only gemstone mine in Greenland.

A mine in GreenlandA mine in Greenland

Our Mine

The first official geological survey of the region where Greenland Ruby’s gems are found was done in the summer of 1966, when gem quality ruby material was recorded on a small island at the head of the Tasiussarssuaq fjord. At the time, the island had no name, but today it’s called Ruby Island. Greenland Ruby’s deposit in Aappaluttoq, meaning RED in Greenlandic was named after the extraordinary amounts of ruby crystals found in the rock.

Mine construction started in 2014 and the site is accessed via a small port built nearby that brings heavy equipment necessary to work under extreme arctic conditions. A heliport that provides helicopter shuttle service for employees and provisions.

The ruby bearing rock is processed at our ultra-modern, state-of-the-art cleaning and sorting operation at the mine site. The rock is first crushed; then hand sorted, a DMS (dense media separation) and optical sorter is used to separate ruby rich rocks from waste. Final sorting is done in Nuuk, at Greenland Ruby’s headquarters.

The current Aappaluttoq mine site is estimated to have at least 10-years-worth of gem-quality ruby and pink sapphire material, ensuring consistency of supply for jewelry assortments and collections. Greenland Ruby is also exploring two neighboring mining locations.

We Are Global!

Greenland Ruby’s head office is in Nuuk, Greenland. Additional operations are in Bangkok, Paris, New York and Mo I Rana, Norway. Greenland Ruby A/S is part of the LNS Group, a Norwegian, family-owned corporation that handles mining contracts, road projects, bridges and tunnels in arctic regions. 

Sales and Marketing

Greenland Ruby markets and sells its gemstones through a system of preferred partners, who carry forward the Greenland Ruby branding message to retailers and consumers. The company works with designers, brands, and large manufacturers that are looking for a consistent supply of ruby and pink sapphire for jewelry assortment and collection needs. 

RubyCloud™ is Greenland Ruby’s virtual marketplace where thousands or rubies and pink sapphires can be accessed by gem and jewelry professionals only. 

Gems and jewelry are also on sale in Greenland, at the showroom in Nuuk. Please contact Managing Director, Peter Madsen at peter.madsen@greenlandruby.gl​

Greenland Ruby has launched a broad-based marketing campaign to introduce Greenland Ruby gems to the world, via collection launches with jewelry houses and brands, trade show participation, press, and social media communications.

For additional information, please contact our marketing team at info@greenlandruby.gl or our sales team at sales@greenlandruby.gl.

Industry Associations

We are proud to be the first colored gemstone mining operation to become a Certified Member of the Responsible Jewellery Council. This achievement confirms our commitment to responsible practices within our business operations and core strategy through a continuous effort towards improvement. ​​

Greenland Ruby is also a member of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, and the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA).

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