Mining Luc Yen Vietnam
Mining in Vietnam.
Mining gemstones in Vietnam is basically illegal. Mining is on an artisanal basis and is usually small cooperatives or families digging rice paddies between crops, or non-farming land. Many families have fish or duck ponds and if anyone enquires why they are digging in the rice paddies, they simply say they are digging a pond. In practice the government really doesn’t care about this small-scale mining and landowners are usually left alone.
The whole Gemstone Industry is very undeveloped despite the wealth of gemstones to be found.
Mining in Luc Yen is active now. The Luc Yen gem deposits are located in the Luc Yen area of Yen Bai province in Vietnam. These deposits were discovered in 1987 and have since become known for their production of high-quality gemstones such as rubies, sapphires, and spinels. The gemstones are found in both primary and secondary deposits within a metasedimentary sequence of Cambrian age, consisting of marble and schist.
The Luc Yen area is particularly renowned for its ruby and spinel deposits. The gemstones occur in a zone known as Lo Gam, which is also recognized for its fine tourmaline. The gem deposits are placers that have been exploited along shear zones, with notable locations including Tan Huong and Truc Lau. Ruby and spinel have been found in these areas, with some of the latest discoveries occurring in February.
The mining activities in Luc Yen involve the extraction of gem-quality rubies and noble spinels from marbles and placer deposits. The gemstones are typically mined in their rough form and then sorted, cut, and polished for use in jewelry and other decorative purposes. The Luc Yen gemstone market is a significant hub for the trade and sale of these precious stones.