Mogok Ruby Mogok Rubies

Myanmar is world-famous for the production of gems,

precious stones and pearls. Mogok is prominent for its production of rubies and sapphires. Mogok or "rubyland" is a bit more than 100km north of Mandalay (depends how to travel) and about 4000 ft above sea level the place is surrounded by hills. The city is located beside a lake and surrounded by 4 mountains, which are 5606 to 7544 ft high, the location is on the western edge of the Shan Plateau.

At Mogok rubies and other precious stones have been found for centuries. Ruby mines are usually of the open pit type, the gravel is washed out, sorted and cleaned and if someone is happy she or he will find a ruby or maybe other gemstone.  and a small fair where precious stones are bought and sold.

During colonial times the British colonialists cheated and looted the Myanmar's continuously. A typical example was the famous Nga-Mauk Ruby of Mogok. When the British annexed Upper Myanmar in 1885, Col. Sladen fraudulently took away the said Nga-Mauk Ruby from the possession of Myanmar King Thibaw and the ruby disappeared. It was never returned and its whereabouts are still unknown to date. Col. Sladen unscrupulously took away not only the Nga-Mauk Ruby, but also 11 gold figures of the Kings and Queens of Konbaung Dynasty starting with Alaung paya, the founder. These figures stood 6-12 in. high, of solid gold, weighting 4 ˝ to 5 viss. The figure of King Hsinbyushin weighs over 192 ticals of solid gold.

There are plenty of stories and rumors about the lucky ones who made a fortune overnight. Since this open air mining goes on since centuries its amazing that again and again rubies are found with this rather primitive mining methods.

Ruby gemstone on crystal