The story of the Macedonian ruby begins in a small jewellery store in the heart of Skopje, where one gemstone enthusiast spent years trying to convince the public and institutions that the country possessed a unique geological treasure.

Dean Skartov-Deko, a jewellery maker and gemstone expert who says he founded the Macedonian ruby business, has spent decades promoting the rare pink-coloured corundum found in the country.

After several years in Italy studying gemstone cutting, he opened his jewellery store in Skopje in the early 2000s. His laboratory for cutting Macedonian rubies started operating in 2004, followed by the public promotion of the gemstone in 2006.

The atmosphere in the shop reflects the personal connection many people have developed with the stone. The woman working there spoke with enthusiasm about gemstones and the Macedonian ruby, describing it not only as a unique natural stone but also as a symbol of love and forgiveness.

Asked whether foreign visitors were familiar with the stone, she said many were, noting that customers often leave messages in the shop’s guest book and, years later, return to read what they wrote during previous visits.

"In 2011-2012, we began to ask the state to legally treat this business," Skartov-Deko told IntelliNews, describing the protection of the gemstone as a prestigious activity and an important step for the future of the industry.

Today, he estimates that around 10 jewellery stores in North Macedonia sell Macedonian rubies or are involved in their processing.

For Skartov-Deko, the gemstone’s value lies not only in its rarity but also in its origin. "It is the only ruby originating in Europe," he says, noting that other rubies are mainly sourced from Africa, Asia and South America.

The decision by the state to protect the Macedonian ruby as a geographical indication marks a new chapter for the gemstone, opening the way for closer cooperation between institutions and businesses. A collection of Macedonian rubies is now planned to be exhibited at the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources.

Skartov-Deko believes that official recognition could help expand the sector, create opportunities for more jewellery workshops and eventually lead to Macedonian ruby stores opening in cities across the country.

From hidden treasure to protected brand

Now, North Macedonia is taking the first formal step towards turning one of its rarest geological treasures into a recognised national brand, with the protection of the Macedonian ruby as a geographical indication expected to pave the way for controlled promotion, stronger market recognition and future economic opportunities.

While the country has long been known among geologists and collectors for the distinctive pink-coloured corundum found in the wider Prilep region, officials say the priority is no longer simply promoting the gemstone but ensuring that every stone marketed as a Macedonian ruby can be traced back to its geological origin.

According to the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources, protecting the geographical indication is "the first and necessary step" for the proper valuation, presentation and promotion of the gemstone on both domestic and international markets.

Rather than launching an immediate global marketing campaign, the ministry plans to build the product's reputation gradually, beginning at home.

"The domestic market should be the first and main promotional space, because it is here that the product's recognition, trust in its origin and understanding of its value should be built," the ministry said in an e-mailed statement to IntelliNews.

Institutional promotion, cooperation with artisans and jewellers, tourism initiatives, museum and educational exhibitions, as well as the use of the Macedonian ruby in official promotional activities are among the measures envisaged to establish the gemstone as a recognisable national product.

Only after a credible domestic identity has been established does the ministry envisage expanding promotion abroad.

International marketing will be developed gradually through professional gemological, mineralogical, jewellery, tourism and diplomatic channels, with European and other markets showing interest in natural minerals, unique semi-precious stones, handcrafted jewellery and products with protected geographical origin identified as the initial targets.

A gemstone unlike traditional mining products

Unlike precious stones extracted through dedicated mining operations, the Macedonian ruby has a rather unusual origin.

"The Macedonian ruby is not a classic industrial exploitation of an independent mineral raw material, but a corundum material that occurs as an associated mineral occurrence in the dolomite and calcite-dolomite marbles of the wider Prilep region," the ministry explained.

As a result, the material is typically discovered during regular marble quarrying activities rather than through dedicated ruby mining.

This distinction also explains why there are currently no official statistics on companies or individuals involved in its extraction and sale.

Instead of industrial production, the process involves collecting, separating, recording, classifying and processing naturally occurring corundum material. Marble companies may encounter the stones during routine operations, while suitable samples can later be processed by artisans and specialised stone processors.

Until now, there has been no comprehensive system for recording, classifying or tracing the material through the supply chain.

Under the new geographical indication framework, however, only authorised users whose material can be verified and traced to its origin will be entitled to market products under the name "Macedonian ruby". 

Small volumes, bigger ambitions

The ministry acknowledges that production remains extremely limited. "There is no officially established, organized and statistically monitored annual production of Macedonian ruby, in the sense of classical industrial production," it said.

Based on consultations with craftsmen, processors and others familiar with the material, the current annual volume of collected or purchased corundum is estimated at around 100-200 kg.

The ministry believes that, once a formal reporting and traceability system is introduced, "the future annual recorded volume could reach approximately 250-300 kg of corundum material". However, officials stress that these figures should not be interpreted as future production capacity but rather as an indication of improved reporting.

"It is particularly important to emphasise that not every collected, purchased or processed sample can automatically be treated as a 'Macedonian Ruby' product in terms of the geographical indication," the ministry said. "For this, it is necessary to determine the origin, to have traceability, to document the processing stages and to carry out expert control."

Building value through authenticity

For now, the ministry is cautious about forecasting the commercial impact of the initiative. Rather than promising immediate gains in exports or investment, officials describe the geographical indication as laying the foundation for future market development.

The expected benefits include greater consumer confidence, protection against misuse of the name, stronger development of artisanal jewellery production, increased tourism appeal and wider recognition of North Macedonia's geological heritage.

"The protection of the geographical indication creates prerequisites for positive economic effects," the ministry said, adding that its precise impact on exports, investments, employment and local economic development will require separate economic and market analyses.

For a gemstone produced in only modest quantities, the strategy is less about increasing volume than about increasing value. By linking every certified stone to its unique geological origin in the Prilep region, North Macedonia hopes the Macedonian ruby will earn recognition not only as a mineral curiosity but as an authentic national product whose rarity becomes its greatest commercial strength.