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Myanmar
Precious
Stones
& Gems
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We are focused on individual and small group trips
throughout the country, tell us what you want via contact. |
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healing
stones, gemstone, jewels
and jewelry, are some of the items everyone visiting the country should
consider to buy, the prices are low and the
items are of excellent
quality. If you want to get some specials, maybe
birthstone, ruby, jade, sapphire
or other you
are at the right place. |
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In particular rubies
are famous since hundred of years for their
value and beauty after cut and polishing,
there are valuable blue sapphire, magic jade
and plenty of other like pearls etc. In
general this should not be a vehicle to use as a boycott
tool as it has been one in the past.
The
overwhelming majority of income from this
things goes into the pocket
of the people who find them, process them
and sell them. Actually most Myanmar gems
end up for sale in
Bangkok and
Chanthaburi.
Here are some locations where the stones are
mined,
Ruby and
Sapphire Mining
Mogok Stone-tract (Mandalay Division)
Thabeikkyin Area (Mandalay Division)
Sagyin
Area (Mandalay Division) Mong Hsu ) |
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Area (Shan
State)
Pyinlon Area (Shan State)
Namsakha Area (Kachin StateKhappara Area (Kachin State)
Karmine Area (Kachin State)
Tanine Area (Kachin State) |
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Mong Khut Area (Shan State)
Won Salong/Linkhay Area (Shan State)
Myainggyi Ngu Area (Kayin State)
Jade Mining
Lonkhin-Pharkant Area (Kachin State)
Khamti
Area (Sagaing Division)
Diamond Mining
Putao Area (Kachin State)
Momeik Area (Shan State)
Toungoo Area (Bago Division)
Dawei-Kyaukme
Taung Area
(Tanintharyi Division)
Myeik-Theindaw Area (Taninthryi Division)
Khamti Area (Sagaing Division)
Hugaung
Valley Area (Sagaing Division)
Cultured Pearl Production |
Semi-Precious Stones
and Amber
Myeik Pearl Island (Tanintharyi
Division)Mali Island (Tanintharyi Division)
Russel Island (Tanintharyi Division)
Apawyay Island (Rakhine State)
Long ago
a substantial business was with
pearl diving the Salone or Sea
Gypsies fetched from the bottom of
the Andaman Sea but that has
almost gone, pics right side. |
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Gems come in many variants
 Jade is the name given to both
nephrite and jadeite which are
tougher than steel although not
particularly hard. China, New
Zealand and Alaska supply good
material
Burma too. In Brazil it occurs
naturally, used since Neolithic times
for weapons and tools and later for
delicate carvings. Aztecs used jade,
in ancient Egypt the stone was
called Nemehen. Pure one is white
with impurities causing different
colors and most pieces are mottled.
It is generally translucent or
opaque green in color and is
lustrous rather than brilliant. The
most prized of all is
"imperial jade" the transparent
emerald green colored by chromium.
It has been always revered in China
as a sacred stone. This
gemstone is judged by the intensity
of the green color and its coolness
to the touch, jadeite is the rarer
and Myanmar remains the
only commercial source.
Much of
the Central American material originates in Guatemala. Soapy
is the term for the
inferior grades used commonly
for carving decorations, lamp
stands etc.
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Jade Ruby
Pearls
Sapphire
Spinel Peridot
Moonstone
Jewelry
Loose Gems
Some Gemstone History
One of the several
titles assumed by the
Myanmar kings when
addressing themselves in
the proclamation of
their royal decrees
runs: "Master of 'Sadan'
Elephant, owner of
white, red, and striped
elephants, possessor of
gold mines, silver
mines, amber mines,
copper sulphate crystal
(blue vitriol) mines,
copper mines, and
possessor of seven royal
Gems, namely gold,
silver, pearl,
ruby, opal, sapphire,
diamond, and coral."
At a glance this lengthy
title sounds a trifling
pomposity, but on
interpretation it has
economic and political
implications.
Economically, it
advertises the country's
forest and mineral
products and politically
it asserts the King's
absolute sovereignty
over the State and all
those appertaining to
it. It is as good as
saying |
Myanmar
Pearls from the Andaman
Sea |
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Myanmar Gems
have a wide spectrum of
minerals. |
"L'etat
C'est moi" (I am the
State) which the great
French Sun King Louis
XIV is said to have
uttered. True,
throughout the history
of Myanmar kings all the
products of the State
which fetched great
prices were listed as
royal monopolies for
they were the source of
the State's revenues.
Among teak, elephant
tusk, musk, peacock
tail, metals and
precious metal
categorized as royal
merchandise, gems were
the top items.
Gems have not only
market value but also
have intrinsic and
rarity values. They
bring aesthetic pleasure
and social prestige to
the owner. Besides some
gems are believed to
possess supernatural
powers which the owner
may put to his
beneficial use. So gems
are much sought after by
royalties, both oriental
and occidental, and by
those who can afford
them. |
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The country has long been
well known for great gems
it produces in variety
and abundance. Many
references are found in
the historical records
which made mention of
local kings enshrining
their crown jewels with
rubies and sapphires
inside the pagodas or stupas
or dedicating their gems to be
studded on the canopies
or htis of the pagodas,
or giving away as royal
gift gems of
considerable value to
the envoys sent from the
countries far and near.
One Myanmar chronicle
known as the Glass
Palace Chronicle says,
"In the year A.D. 1576
when the religious gift
of a replica of the
Sacred Tooth (Relic of
the Buddha)
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Myanmar Gems
Rubies and
Sapphires |
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Ruby Yellow Gold Ring |
presented by Sri Lankan
King Dhamma Pala to
Myanmar King Bayint
Naung arrived by ship at
the seaport of Pathein,
the latter made a gold
casket studded with
rubies.
Four large crown
jewels adorned the four
faces of the said
casket, namely the
priceless gem named "Lay Kyun Simee" (The light
of four lands) belonging
to a Mon king Bannya
Pari. The gem
presented by the Lord of Momeik,
the
gem which King Damazedi
wore on his ring finger,
and the diamond presented by the
king of Ayuthia.
The Sacred Tooth Relic
was placed in that
bejeweled casket which
was enshrined in the
king's ruby-studded
pickled tea gold
container. The container
was placed in the king's
gold betel
box. The betel box was
enshrined in the Ratana
Zedi which was
embellished with nine
precious gems |
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The Ratana Zedi was placed
on a bejeweled spire
which was placed on
board the royal gilt
boat to be taken to
Hanthawaddy the
Capital."
From China, India, Sri
Lanka and Arabia came
trader
who took up residence at
the capital cities to
deal in gem trade. But
to the Western world
this seemed to be known only
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Oriental luxury |
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the
15th century when some
ships of European
travelers began to touch
the coasts which they then called
"Further India".
The
arrival of these ships
was
by chance, because at
that time Europe's
commercial interest was
not in the country but in
the East Indies and the Far
East especially Cathay
(China). Spices, silk,
velvets, porcelains and
other oriental luxury
items were main
items in the overseas
trade of countries in
those days here were non of them.
But on their way to
spice islands of the
East Indies or silk
countries of the Far
East, some galleons
would drop in at
Myanmar's seaports
either for water supply
and food ration, ship
repair or sheer
curiosity.
Anybody on board who
cared to proceed inland
and pay a visit to the
capital city was amazed to find
the thriving trade in
local products,
particularly gems.
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Myanmar Amber |
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Myanmar gems trade
Sapphires and other
precious stones |
It is from the accounts and
travelogues of these
some casual European
visitors to gems trade in
the 15th and 16th
centuries may be
gleaned.
After Marco Polo,
the earliest European
visitor was
believed to be a
Venetian merchant named
Nicole di Conti who came
to India in A.D.1435 and
crossed overland to
reach Pegu, a thriving
kingdom, which he
describes as a "champaign
country".
He mentions in
his travel writing the
white elephants of the
king. But he seems to be
ignorant of the gems
trade for which Pegu
was well famed, because
he mentions nothing
about it. It is,
therefore, doubtful
whether di Conti really
reached there at all.
Hieronimo de Santo
Stefano, a merchant from
Genoa, is perhaps the
first Westerner to write
about the gems
trade. He came to Pegu
in A.D.1 492 (1496 in
some records) and wrote
home of what he saw in
the city as follows:
"After twenty days, we
reached a great city
called Pegu.
This part is called
India. Here is a great
Lord who possesses more
than ten thousand
elephants, and every
year he breeds five
hundred of them. The
country is distant
fifteen days' journey by
land from another called
Ava, in which grow
rubies and many other
precious stones."
The country is one of
the producer of pearls,
gold, silver and even
pink spheres. |
Precious Stones |
Myanmar Pearl |
A
typical gold
pearl with about
10mm diameter
goes for around
$ 100,- at the
Bogyoke Market,
this are real
cultured pearls,
no tricks and
cheating.
They
also make
spheres from the
remains of the
dust when making
jewelry.
The time Stefano visited |
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Pegu was the reign of
King Binnyaran
(A.D.1492-1526) who was
a grandson of Queen Shin
Saw Pu of Hanthawaddy.
Binnyaran was revered
for his gentleness, and
his reign was marked by
peace and prosperity.
The 15th century
was the century of
stress and strain in
the history. After
the fall of Bagan
following the invasion
of the Mongol Tartars,
all rivaled for
leadership in the
reunification of the
country. Besides, there
were dynastic wars
between the House of Innwa and the House of
Pegu. Meanwhile,
a new leadership was in
the making at a place
called Taungoo in the
Sittaung valley. In
spite of these troubled
years, trade
continued to prosper and
overseas visitors came
more
frequently than before.
At the turn of the 16th
century,
another Italian
traveller-merchant came
to Pegu. He was Ludovico
di Varthema, a native of
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Pegu or
Bago Pagoda |
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Myanmar Jewels
are great stuff watch
this video. |
Bologna. He was a coral
dealer. He found in
Pulicat a thriving
trading town in Southern
India, "an immease
traffic in merchandise,
and especially jewels,
for they came here from
Zailon (Ceylon) and Peso
(Pegu)"
Varthema wanted to
exchange his corals with
rubies. Round
about 1505-6 he arrived
at Pegu and the Peguan
king Binnyaran granted a
royal audience with him.
The richness in gems
may be gauged from his
description of the King
in the following words:
"Do not imagine that the
king of Pegu enjoys as
great a reputation as
the king of Calicut,
although he is so humane
and domestic that an
infant might speak to
him, and he wears more
rubies on him than the
value of a very large
city, and wears them all
on his toes. And on his
legs he wears certain
great rings of gold.
After the sea-route from
Europe was opened in
1498,
Portuguese adventurers
and merchants came out
to the East, and many
arrived here for
multipurpose, for trade,
mercenary services in
the local armies,
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propagation of
Christianity and for
acquisition of wealth.
In A.D. 1511 Alfonso
Albuquerque who was the
Portuguese Viceroy at
Malacca sent a trade
mission led by Ruy Nunez
d'Ancunha to Myanmar to
make an economic
prospect at Taninthayi,
Mutama or Moattama,
and Pegu. In A.D. 1519 a
Portuguese embassy
headed by envoy Anthony
Correa arrived. He
entered into an official
trade agreement with the
Lord of Mutama.
The ceremony of signing
the agreement was
sanctified by the
chanting of mantras by
the Mon monks and
recitation by one
Portuguese chaplain of
some passages from a
breviary. The agreement
remained effective till
1613 when the Portuguese
strongholds at seaports were broken up
by King Anaukpet
Lun and the
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Portuguese
influence declined for good.
A more detailed account
of the 16th century gems
trade
is found in the
travelogues of
other visitors. One
named Duarte Barbosa who
came in A.D.
1501 visited both Pegu
and Inwa, and made a
careful survey of
exports and imports of
these two kingdoms.
From
his account we learn
that trade in precious
stones was in the hands
of the Indian and Arab
merchants although the
King held royal monopoly
over it. The following
excerpt gives an
interesting description
of the jewel trade at Innwa and ruby mines
at Kyatpyin. |
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"In the inland country
of this kingdom of Pegu,
Barbosa further tells us
the method of detecting
flaws in the rubies
applied by "divers
merchants both Moors and
Heathens skilled in such
trade". In an appendix
on precious stones he
says: "In the first
place rubies are
produced in the land of
India and are found
chiefly on a river
called Pegu. These are
the best and the finest,
and are called Numpuclo
by the Malabares, and
when they are clean and
without flaw they fetch
a good price.
To test their quality
the Indians put them on
their tongues; those
which are finest and
hardest are held to be
the best. To test their
transparency they fix
them with wax on a very
sharp point and looking
towards the sun they can
find any blemish however
slight. They are also
found in certain deep
pits in the mountains
beyond the said river."
"In Pegu they know how
to polish them, and they
therefore convey them to
other countries,
especially to Paleacate,
Narsinga, Calicut, and
the whole of Malabar,
where |
Ruby mines |
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there are
excellent
craftsmen who
cut and mount
them."
He also gives a
table of values
from eight
rubies weighing
one fanam worth
ten fanams to
one weighing six
fanams twelve
quilates, worth
1,500 fanams.
These are the
prices commonly
given for
perfect rubies.
Those which are
damaged or
flawed or of a
bad color are
worth much less
according as the
purchaser may
settle it.
Regarding the
Ceylon rubies,
he remarks that
they are worth
less because of
their pale
color. He tells
us that the King
of Ava "keeps
them (rubies)
for his own
profit and those
of especial
value were not
allowed to leave
the kingdom, and
after treatments
by fire were
worth more than
Pegu rubies."
"The spinels
are found in the
same manner as
the fine rubies
in the Kingdom, they
are found in the
mountains or on
the surface of
the ground. They
are not so fine
or of much good
color, and
resembles rather
garnets. Those
which are
perfect and
clear fetch one
half less than
rubies."
Two Italian
merchants who
came to
prospect gems
trade
in the 16th
century were
Venetian,
Caesar Frederick
in 1569 and
Gasparo Balbi in
1583. Both
wrote a detailed
and interesting
account of the
trade. The
latter brought
with him stock
of emeralds
which he hoped
to sell at a
good price or
swap with rubies.
The former
Caesar Frederick
stayed in Hanthawaddy of
King Bayint
Naung's.
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time
much
longer
than any
other
European
visitors
of his
time.
From his
writings
we learn
so much
about
the
King,
his
court, palace,
armed
forces,
administration,
kingdom,
people
and
their
economic
life.
Quoted
below is
his
description
of trade
in
rubies
he
experienced:
"Also it
is a
thing to
be noted
in the
buying,
without
plenty
of
knowledge
shall
have as
good
jewels,
four
men of
good
reputation
which
are
called Tareghe,
or
brokers.
These
four men
have all
in their
hands
that
have no
knowledge.
This
they do
because
they
would
not lose
their
credit
and when
those
merchants
that
have
knowledge
buy any,
if they
do
it is
their
own
faults
and not
the
brokers:
yet it
is good
to have
knowledge,
by
reason
that he
may
somewhat
ease the
price." |
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The procedure of
transaction and
bargaining in
gems trade
is described as
follows: "There
is also a very
good order for
which they have
in buying of
jewels, which is
this: there are
many merchants
that stand by at
the making of
the bargains,
and because they
shall not
understand how
the jewels are
sold the broker
and the
merchants have
their hands
under a cloth,
and by touching
of fingers and
nipping the
joints they know
what is done,
what is bidden
and what is
asked.
So that the
standers by know
not what is
demanded for
them, although
it be for a
thousand or ten
thousand Duckets.
For every joint
and every finger
has his
signification.
If the merchants that
stand by, should
understand the
bargain, it
would start
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a great
controversy
amongst them."
Another European
who informs us
of the gems is Ralph
Fitch, the first
Englishman to
visit the rich
Kingdom.
He arrived at
in A.D.
1587, at the
time when King
Nanda Bayin (son
and successor of
King Bayint
Naung) was on
the throne of
Hanthawaddy.
He came via the
Bay of Bengal
stopping on his
watery journey
at the ports of
Cosmin (Pathein),
Dela (Dalla),
and Cirion (Thanhlyin),
noting down
everything he
saw and
experienced, regarding the
commerce
he says:
The ships which
come from Bengala,
San Thome and
Masulipatan come
to the bay of
Negrais and to
Cosmin. To
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Gem Broker
at Chanthaburi
Thailand south
of Bangkok |
Martaban
-- a port of the
sea in the
kingdom
-- come many
ships laden with
sandal wood,
porcelain from
China and
camphor of
Borneo, and
pepper from Ache
in Sumatra. To
Cirion -- a port
of Pegu -- come
ships from Mecca
with woolen
cloth, scarlets,
velvets,
opium
and such like."
Like his
predecessor
Caesar
Frederick, Ralph
Fitch speaks of
the gem
brokers: "There are
eight
brokers whom
they call Tareghe who are
bound to sell
you goods at the
price which they
are worth, and
you give them
for their labor
two in the
hundred and they
are bound to
make your debt
good because you
sell your
merchandise upon
their word . .
."
Fitch further
tells us of the
medium of
exchange used in
trade:
'Their current
money in these
parts is a kind
of brass which
they call 'Ganza'
wherewith
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you may buy
gold, silver,
rubies, musk and
other things .
." He finally
enumerates the
major articles
of trade he
found:
"The merchandise
which is there
is gold, silver,
rubies,
sapphires
, spinels, musk,
long pepper,
tin, lead,
copper, rice and
wine made of
rice and some
sugar . . "
In the
subsequent
centuries
gems
continued to be
the main item in
the list of
exports. The 1
7th centuries
was the period
of the Dutch
dominance in the
seaborne trade
of Southeast
Asia and the
East.
Their galleons
frequented the seaports
for buying
forest products,
agricultural
products,
particularly
rice, and
mineral products
mainly gems and
rubies. In
almost every
account given by
Western visitor,
precious
stones and gems
are mentioned as
one source of
revenue for the
State.
While rubies and
sapphires were
the hot items
for the European
market,
jade
was the fancy of
the Chinese
people. In the
18th and the
19th centuries
we hear the
stories of the
exploration of
ruby
mines by
European
geologists, and
the extraction
of jade
by Chinese
miners.
Jadeite is the
good stuff mined
in Kachin State,
this is the far
northern part of
the country, the
lesser valuable
stones are
nephrite. Burma
is almost the
only source for
jadeite, the
other comes
from China,
Canada and
elsewhere.
Both are used to
make gorgeous
pieces in the
whole color
spectrum, people
buying items
made from this
mineral are
mostly Chinese,
they like it
since several
thousand years
and they
interpret some
mystic values
into the stone.
It can be made
into beautiful
jewelry,
sculptures and
objects, the
more translucent
the items are
the higher the
value is,
preferred and
most expensive
is imperial jade
which is green
jadeite. |
Burmese silver
pot
made by hand for
various
purposes.
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The finest gemstones
including pigeon -
ruby - rubies - and royal blue
sapphire |
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Sapphire cut and facetted
colors available: white, pink, blue, pastel - mixed,
sizes: 2 mm up, calibrated. |
Spinels is a very popular Myanmar
precious stones, the stone looks like a ruby,
color: pink to red,
size: one carat up
1.1 mm to 4.9 mm - calibrated |
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