MOZAMBIQUE SETS TO SHINE AS RUBY PRODUCTION GROWS AGAIN IN 2025

MRM alone has generated nearly €1 billion in revenues, with €239.7 million paid to the Mozambican state in royalties and taxes over the past decade.

Mozambique Ruby production Africa Gemstone industry Mining.
Ruby Production rises by 5% in  2025
Ruby Production rises by 5% in 2025


Mozambique is polishing its place on the global gem map, forecasting a dazzling 5% rise in ruby production for 2025 with over 4.1 million carats expected to be unearthed across the country.

After an impressive 46% surge in ruby output in 2024, the southern African nation is showing no signs of slowing down. The government’s latest economic forecast reveals that ruby production is projected to reach 4,143,832 carats in 2025, building on the strong momentum driven largely by industrial expansion and investment in mining infrastructure.

At the heart of this growth is SLR Mining, which has rapidly become the country’s leading producer after ramping up its processing capacity. In 2024, the company contributed over 70% of Mozambique’s total ruby output, a milestone achieved with the launch of a new processing plant. Its rise has helped the nation beat its production target by 128% in the past year.

“Ruby production is the crown jewel of Mozambique’s gemstone industry,” the report notes, emphasizing that rubies now account for 76% of the country’s precious and semi-precious stone exports.

The rebound comes after a drop in production in 2023, when output fell to 2.7 million carats following years of decline from 5 million in 2021. But 2024 marked a turnaround, as ruby output soared to 3,946,506.90 carats, up from just over 2.7 million the year before.

Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM), a major player in the sector owned 75% by British gemstone giant Gemfields and 25% by Mozambican firm Mwiriti Limitada, has also played a pivotal role in Mozambique’s gemstone success. Operating in Cabo Delgado since 2012, MRM alone has generated nearly €1 billion in revenues, with €239.7 million paid to the Mozambican state in royalties and taxes over the past decade.

MRM’s revenue hit €141 million in 2023, with €49.6 million going directly to the state figures celebrated in Gemfields’ transparency report on resource revenue sharing.

With increased excavation in new high-yield ruby blocks and the full return of producers like Moza Minerals, Mozambique’s ruby sector is shining brighter than ever, and 2025 is poised to be another glittering chapter in its gemstone journey.

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