Share Ratanakkiri precious stone a hidden gem Thu, 8 April 2021 Look closely at the photo accompanying this article of the ring that has a sparkling blue oval gemstone set in a gold band with a design that is simple but with a classy elegance. You’d guess it was a teal sapphire or maybe an aquamarine, right? Wrong. The gemstone in the ring that I’m describing is actually a zircon and their use in jewellery has been growing in popularity by leaps and bounds in recent years internationally – which is great news for Cambodia, because Ratanakkiri province is the only known large scale commercially-viable source for these coveted blue zircon stones.