Precious Stones from France: Sapphire, Ruby and Gemstones

France is not a major source of precious stones, but it does have a few. The Auvergne sapphire is the best-known example; other, more modest stones are also found in its mountains.

Precious stones and gemstones: what is the difference?

In fine jewelry, four stones are called precious: diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald. Other gems, such as amethyst, quartz or tourmaline, are known in French as pierres fines, or gemstones.

France’s geology holds many minerals, particularly in the Massif Central, the Alps and the Pyrenees. Stones of jewelry quality, however, are rare there, and almost always small.

Sapphire, France’s precious stone

Among precious stones, sapphire is the one most often found in France, mainly in Auvergne. Formed deep underground, it was brought toward the surface by volcanic activity, then freed by erosion and carried along by streams. It is therefore found in alluvial deposits, along streams and rivers, where it is searched for with a gold pan or a sieve.

The most frequently cited deposit is the Riou Pezzouliou stream, near Le Puy-en-Velay in the Haute-Loire department (Encyclopædia Universalis). Blue, but also tinged with green or yellow, each of these sapphires has its own color.

It is the stone we chose for our jewelry: we tell its story, from the stream to the workshop, in Auvergne Sapphire, the Stone at the Heart of NAGOYA.

Ruby, more elusive

Ruby is also a corundum, colored red. In France it is reported only very occasionally, in tiny quantities: the rubies used in fine jewelry come mostly from Africa and Asia. As for diamond and emerald, no deposit is mined in France; those found in jewelry come from mines abroad.

Gemstones from our mountains

Gemstones are easier to find. Auvergne is known for its amethyst, a purple quartz mined around Le Vernet-la-Varenne, in the Puy-de-Dôme department, since the late Middle Ages, notably for rosaries (Auvergne Amethyst Geosite). The Alps, for their part, are known for their quartz veins: rock crystal, smoky quartz and rose quartz.

A French stone and a piece made in France

A stone found in France does not on its own make a piece made in France: the origin label depends on where the piece is made, not on where its materials come from. We explain this in Jewelry Made in France: What the Label Really Means.

At NAGOYA, the two come together: the Gentiane ring pairs an Auvergne sapphire with the craftsmanship of Saumur, where it is crafted and set by hand.

Would you rather talk it over in person? We welcome you by appointment at our workshop, 44 rue de Rouen in Saumur, France, or you can write to us from our contact page.