Corundum Var Ruby

Well-defined ruby (chromium-bearing corundum) crystals on matrix from the classic Kleggåsen Ruby Quarry, Froland, Agder, southern Norway. The specimen displays multiple translucent to locally transparent ruby crystals with an intense pinkish-red to deep red coloration, sharply contrasting with the pale host rock.

Ruby is the red variety of corundum (Al₂O₃) and belongs to the oxide mineral group. At Kleggåsen, ruby forms in metamorphic environments, typically within ruby-bearing gneisses and related lithologies formed under high-grade regional metamorphism. The crystals commonly occur as flattened to tabular individuals, often showing growth zoning and internal fractures typical for this locality.

The Kleggåsen occurrence is one of the most important ruby localities in Scandinavia, known primarily among collectors rather than the gem trade. Most specimens were recovered during periods of limited quarrying and later collecting activity rather than large-scale industrial mining.

Ruby from Norway is considered uncommon to rare, especially in matrix specimens with well-developed, visible crystals. While corundum itself is chemically and mechanically very stable, ruby crystals may show internal fractures and should be handled with care to avoid edge damage.

Typical associated minerals at this locality include plagioclase, quartz, mica-group minerals (biotite/phlogopite), and occasionally scapolite or spinel, depending on the specific host rock.