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Myanmar
pearls, gold
pearl &
jewelry
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are rare and a unique
souvenir to bring home from
your vacation or business
trip in form of jewelry.
There are gold pearls,
white, pink, silver, the all
have one thing in common
they are cultured south sea
and freshwater pearls.
Long time ago the pearl
diver
harvested
them from the bottom of
the Andaman Sea, now it's
farming or culturing. You
would be surprised how low
the prices for beautiful
products are at the major
pearl market at Bogyoke Aung
San Market in Yangon, there
is no fake. |
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They have gorgous
jewelry made from
them such as rings,
bracelets, pendant,
baroque pearls,
earrings, necklace,
drop earrings plus
pretty mother pf
pearl items.
Small shops also
offer freshwater
pearls from India,
this items are
rather cheap but
give beautiful
chains in all
variants of the
color spectrum from
rose to white.
The biggest pearl on
the globe was found
on the seabed at
Mukkalauk oyster
exploration area
north-west of
Zadetgyi Island in
Kawthaung Township,
Taninthayi Division.
This is 6.2 cm in
length, 5.3 cm in
width and three cm
in height, exceeding
the measurements of
the Hope Pearl
recorded as the
world's largest in
the
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past. The weight is
45.06 mommes, 845
carats, 169 grams
and 929.50 yatis.
According to
Gemological
Institute of
America, the Hope
Pearl found in about
1800, was 5.71 cm in
length and 90 grams
in weight. The
silvery sphere was
found in an oyster
of Pinctada Maxima
species. Myanmar
Andaman Pearl Co.
Ltd. found it in the
oyster exploration
area and handed it
over to the State.
The company
is working under the
profit-sharing
agreement with
Myanma
Pearl Enterprise
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Loose pearls
either white, gold, silver and black come from the
Andaman Sea
around the unspoiled of the
Myeik (formerly Mergui)
archipelago
in the south.
Among others, they are available either as cultured
or natural and baroque,
more about pearls is here.
The most coveted are gold pearls.
This recious items
can be found in numerous shops in the
Bogyok Aung San Market.
There
are all kind of jewelry made from this
pretty spheres.
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The cheaper
items in the
market are
in general
not of a
very good
quality, its
more like
fashion
jewelry. |
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jewelry. Pearls make very pretty
compositions with
diamonds
and other precious stones.
See the
pictures at right, this are loose ones some of them harvested by pearl divers
around the Myeik or Mergui Archipelago. The
people diving there are usually the Salone
sea gypsies in Thailand they call them
Moken, but most come from the "farm".
such as high quality bracelet,
earrings, necklace or wholesale freshwater
pearls its better to contact a bigger
jewelry shop or pearl wholesale company at
the Bogyoke Market. Loose pearls of good
quality with white or rather cream color are
also available, this includes baroque forms.
There are other types of loose fake items
which are somehow compressed from pearl dust
which is colleted when making jewelry, which
means they are from the same material like
normal but a composite.
Beads
together with jade beads or other semi
precious stones are creatively crafted into
some nice native jewelry.
Cultured freshwater spheres are much lower
in price than seawater pearls.
Jewelry come in various
designs such as rain or dew
drop, tear drop, lustre,
grace, charm, elegance, etc.
In local fables, folktales,
folk-lores, language,
literature and songs even in
the Buddha Mamma they play
no small role.
Long time ago they thought
this are
coveted treasure with
supernatural power worth
waging a war to possess.
It is a gift to the king or
queen to win royal favour, a
reward for excellent service
or bravery, a bribe to win
lawsuit or to escape from
capital punishment or as
military tactic to divert or
delay the enemies in hot
pursuit by spraying pearls
on their trail or even as an
essential ingredient in the
concoction of elixir of
life, panacea for longevity
or aphrodisiac drug.
Such a wide range of
varieties of use for humans
with regard to this sea
product, yet it was
comparatively very recent
that humans have discovered
the technique of culturing
them. In this field Japan
may be the first or one of
the firsts to have taken the
lead.
Though at sea coasts and
archipelago
have been known for
producing natural spheres of
various sizes and excellent
quality there had been no
attempt to work pearl diving
as a commercial enterprise.
Culturing is todays
business, only late in the
pre-war days modest
initiatives for pearl diving
as an industry in Myeik were
reported. After the country
regained independence,
attention of some private
entrepreneurs was drawn to
the extraction of marine
products of as a commercial
industry.
This
jewelry combined with ruby,
amethyst, jade, sapphire and
various semi precious stones
plus with mother of pearl is
pretty and popular. |
Pearls pictures,
Myanmar pearls,
brooch with gold and
diamonds
Fake pearls made from the dust left
overs when pearl jewelry is made. The dust
is molded and after it looks very similalr
to a real one although for a fraction of the
price. But it needs to to be careful since
it is sometimes vey difficult to see a
difference to a natural pearl.
Mother of pearl at Bogyok Aung San Market
shop. |
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Myanmar pearl jewelry
such as bracelets, pearl
brooch and other items are real elegant and
the natural glow brings charm and beauty on
a women. Since the production
of freshwater pearl this jewelry got a much
broader sales spektrum. Some great designed
items are available for rather low prices at
the places such as Yangon's Bogyoke Market
and elsewhere,
more.
A
Diamond
might be women's best
friends but this small spheres
have always been a natural beauty which
fascinated all kinds of persons, from
celebrities to career women or
housewives.Women of all ages look real
gorgeous wearing them, they also come in
various exciting colors when combined
with
ruby
or
jade.
Although just with |
Jewelry shop at the market
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Chains with
different colors and
lenght |
white and gold looks
good in a classic or
traditional design
Until about hundred
years ago the pearl
diver
got this precious
little things up and
out from the water.
They had dangerous
job since all the
diving science,
parameter, equipment
and knowledge was
not existent until
recently.
On top of it were
dangerous beasts
making the job
dangerous for any
diver. The Myeik
Archipelago in
southern Myanmar was
one of the most
productive hunting
grounds in Asia
during colonial
times and before,
read
more.
Like other gems,
they have enjoyed
pride of place in
the history of
mankind's craze for
aesthetic beauty.
But this is not
stone, it is the
product of sea
creatures called
oysters. In they
country they are
listed in the
category of nine
precious gems
"Nawarat" along with
other sea product
coral.
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At Bogyoke
Market |
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Classification
Thus, Nawarat Kopa
or Nine Precious
Gems are (1) Ruby,
(2) Pearl, (3)
Coral, (4) Emerald,
(5) Topaz, (6)
Diamond, (7)
Sapphire, (8) Garnet
and (9) Cat's eye
(Moonstone).
Best or good pearls
are assessed by five
standards, say pearl
experts. They are
(1) size, (2) shape
round, baroque or
irregular, (3)
colour silvery
white, creamy, pink
or gold (4) surface,
smooth, no flaw or
no
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Necklace combined
with jade beads
white and black
spheres |
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blemish or rough and
(5) lustre which is
the most important
quality.
No other gems,
diamond, ruby or
sapphire, can
produce lustre.
Unlike stones they
and corals are not
hard sub-stances.
They are sea
products of calcium
carbonate, very
fragile and are not
immune to sweat,
perfume, lipsticks,
all kinds of
cosmetics and
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chemicals. They are
also sensitive to
dampness, heat and
light.
Along with the sea food
production, diving and
culturing
both natural and cultured
made their debut in foreign
markets. Due to their unique
lustre and texture they
gained popularity with both
wearers and collectors.
Myeik Anchipelago in the
southernmost part of the
country comprising over 800
beautiful islands became
well-known as "mines of good
natural pearls" as well as
"the best fertile marine
soil' for cultivating them.
The start of the Jade and
Gem Emporium annually held
in Naypyidaw now and in
Yangon before for over four
decades ago stepped up the
industry, notably
Myanmar Pearl Enterprise.
At these yearly emporia,
rubies, sapphires and jades
were highlighted and other
semiprecions stones were
second priority items.
International auctioners and
buyers focussed on this type
of pearls as well, and the
demand for these sea
treasures increased every
year. Today, sale and
auction are held separately
to meet the demands of pearl
lovers and the yields are
encouraging. The best for
buying them is to visit
Bogyoke Market in Yangon
they have the widest
selections of freshwater and
seawater cultured items. |
Cultured Myanmar Pearls
Shells |
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But there are still the
Salone Pearl Diver
who do their job since
hindreds of years. In the
Gem Museum on the Kaba Aye
Pagoda Road, Yangon, are
displayed an array of
precious and semiprecious
stones plus pearls of
superlative size and
quality.
Among the largest fine ruby,
sapphire, jade, peridot,
topaz, garnet acquamarine,
etc., a natural pearl of 9.3
mommy weight is given place
of honour on the coils of a
jade statue of Naga serpent
with its hood sheltering
above and its two ruby eyes
glaring at you.
The Museum has additions of
super size, shape and
quality that are recent
discoveries. For example, up
to now ranked as the biggest
natural pearl in the world,
extracted from an oyster of
Myeik seas is in the shape
of a round pincushion,
weighing 845 carats or 45.06
mommy and 62 x 50 x 31
millimeters. It has the
silvery lustre.
Next is the biggest cultured
sphere from Myeik. It has an
irregular shape, weighing
9.8 mommy, 32 millimetre
wide and 41 millimeter high,
many more are yet to turn
up. |
Sea gypsies pearl diver |
Local girl at a
island festival |
The Salone,
commonly referred to
as sea gypsies are a
ethnicity who made
sea and islands
their homes. Until
all the way down to
Malaysia. They are
seaborn, expert in
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Salone and cultured
jewelry |
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diving into the depth and
bringing up marine treasures
and pearls.
In the country this industry
is a latecomer, it only
started late 1950's, and it
is still in infancy if
compared to those of
advanced maritime countries.
Nevertheless, it is catching
up with time and advance of
its counterparts in other
countries. Perhaps the seas
around have some special
elements to produce both
natural and cultured of
excellent quality. The
striking characteristic is
iridescence, lustre with
multicolours known as
rainbow iridescent.
It is pitiful to see careful
insertion into oysters of
the nuclei or the base of
different sizes to form
cultured pearls. Pinctata
maxima type of oysters are
used for culturing. These
inserted oysters are placed
in cages which are lowered
in sea depths for minimum
two years. During the long
process .
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Loose
cultured
Myanmar
gold, silver
and black
pearls |
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of adjusting itself to the
irritating substance
inserted between its tender
delicate body and its shell
the poor oyster uses its
sticky liquid secretion to
smoothen the substance which
gradually transforms into an
exquisite pearl.
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Smooth
cloth like silk, velvet or soft
cotton are recommended for safe
storage of them. They need to be
kept separate from other gems and
jewelleries for fear of pressure and
scratch from them.
Unlike
stone gems, products of live sea creatures, grow
old through years and they show
signs of aging, lustre fades, colour
changes, size slightly shrinks, etc.
For
fashion they match with almost all
dresses, all designs of all colours
of all cultures. They do not
discriminate age and gender for
their adornment, as some other gems
do. Both women and men wear them. In
the time of monarchy men and women
of high class wore necklaces and
"My dear Palei darlee" (My pearl
necklace) was a poetic expression
cherishingly addressed to each other
between loving couples in old days.
So it's no wonder that they are the
favourite body ornament since time
immemorial till today.
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