 |
Note: The
following is only one of forty-five studies of world sources
found in Chapter 12 of Richard Hughes' book, Ruby
& Sapphire. If you like what you see, order
a copy direct from the publisher. |
Burma Continued from Part
3
| Namsèka
rubies: Salt of the earth? |
One Burmese
locality that has received scant mention is that
of Namsèka. Located 24 km (15 miles) southwest
of Mainglôn (which is just south of Mogok),
in the narrow valley of the Nampai, it was described
by Fritz Noetling in 1891.
At the time of his visit the deposit
had apparently not been worked for some time. The
exact occurrence is said to be less than 1 km northwest
of the small village of Namsèka. According
to Noetling, the first samples of ruby brought to
the attention of the Government of Burma were of
high quality and were provided by Lieutenant Daly,
Superintendent of the Northern Shan States. However,
Noetling spent three full days with twelve coolies
working the deposit, and found not even a single
fragment of ruby. Only some dark purple spinels
turned up.
According to a story told to Noetling…
When the Thibaw Sawbwa
sent one of his officials to Namsèka to
get samples of good stones from the mines, none
could be procured. The man therefore went over
to Mogôk, where he purchased the stones
which were handed over to the Sawbwa as "Namsèka
rubies.
Noetling told the local Sawbwa
about his doubts regarding ruby occurring at Namsèka.
The Sawbwa proceeded to produce a plate of stones
which included both rubies and other gems, with
the rubies matching those of Lieutenant Daly perfectly.
In the end, Noetling had to conclude
that he just wasn't sure about rubies at Namsèka.
It was possible that the mine was originally salted
in an attempt to sell the mining rights, but it
was equally possible that the rubies occurred in
irregular concentrations which would be uncovered
only by sustained work at the site. Since Noetling's
report in 1891, nothing more has been heard of the
rubies of Namsèka.. |
|
Figure 48. Möng Hsu
rubies revitalized Burma's moribund gem industry
when they first hit world gem markets in the early
1990s. The above two stones, weighing 2.59 ct total,
are superb examples of just what all the fuss was
about. (Photo: © 1994 Tino Hammid; stones: Amba
Gem Corp., New York) |
|
Other Burma
corundum localities
Gem-quality rubies and sapphires
are found in a number of other areas, all of which are in upper
Burma. These include:
- Sagyin, near
Mandalay, where poor-quality rubies have been mined from
the marble quarries.
- Thabeitkyin,
along the Irrawaddy river, west of Mogok, for ruby.
- Yet-Kan-Zin-Taung,
50 miles (80 km) from Mandalay along the Mogok road, for ruby.
- Namsèka,
south of Mainglôn (Möng Long), for ruby.
- Naniazeik, Myitkyina
district, Kachin State, for ruby.
- Möng Hsu,
Southern Shan States, for ruby.
- Möng Hkak,
Southern Shan States, for sapphire.
- Nawarat (Pyinlon),
Shan State, for ruby.
- Namhsa, 15 km north
of Nawarat (Shan State), for ruby.
Sagyin
Hills
In the Sagyin Hills, just 26 km north of Mandalay and 3.2 km from
the Irrawaddy river, rubies were once obtained from the detritus
of clay-filled hollows and fissures in the crystalline limestones.
Such hollows were said to yield sapphires, spinels and amethysts,
in addition to rubies (Penzer, 1922). This locality is famed for
fine marble, as well.
Apparently the mines had been
worked for many years. King Mindon Min was said to have obtained
Rs30,000 worth of rubies in one month from an old cave-working
and pit in the adjoining alluvium, which were called the Royal
Loo (Holland, 1898).
About 1870, the mines were
under the supervision of a German engineer named Bredemeyer, who
stated that stones were best when the detritus was of a yellow
color. In 1873, Captain G.A. Strover, described the Sagyin rubies
in the Indian Economist as being lighter in color that those from
Mogok (Penzer, 1922).
According to Penzer (1922)
and Chhibber (1934), a Sir Henry Hayden inspected the tract in
1895. He found the rocks to be gneisses and schists, with bands
of crystalline limestone in them. The latter were considerably
altered, and contained numerous minerals, including spinel and
ruby overlying the crystalline limestone. Moisture moved through
the joints between the limestone and surrounding rocks, dissolving
the limestone and creating fissures and hollows. These open spaces
later trapped the more resistant and insoluble clayey materials,
including rubies.
At the time that Penzer described
the deposit (1922), little work was being done and it appears
that little work has been done since.
In May of 1996, the author
visited Sagyin, which is mainly worked for marble. A few workers
were digging into the marble for gems, but apparently having
little luck.
 |
 |
| Figure 49. Sagyin
is famous for marble, as evidenced by the large block
roughly formed for a Buddha carving. At the time of
the author's visit in May, 1996, a few people
were also digging for rubies. (Author's photos) |
|
Buying
at the source |
|
Before the discovery that Burmese
rubies could be heat treated, the presence and
relative abundance of fluid fingerprints and feathers
was useful in determining whether or not a particular
ruby originated from Burma. The author recalls
examining large numbers of suspected Burmese rubies
brought for examination. A quick look in the microscope,
however, revealed numerous fingerprints and feathers.
Looks of anticipation turned to frowns when told
that the only thing "Burmese" about
the gems were the nationality of the sellers.
In the same vein, a story regarding
an acquaintance comes to mind that speaks volumes
about the efficiency of modern transportation. This
gentleman journeyed all the way from Bangkok to
Peshawar, Pakistan for the purpose of buying Afghan
gemstones. He bought several lots of rubies from
Afghan refugees who had just crossed the border,
eager to raise cash for purchasing weapons to drive
the Russian infidels out of their homeland. Back
in Bangkok I examined his purchases and was forced
to relay the information that his journey had been
for naught. Most of the rubies were from Thailand. |
|
Thabeitkyin
(Thabeikkyin)
Burma's Thabeitkyin area has received little notice.The
following is based on the 1938 report of U Khin Maung Gyi (Gyi,
1938).
Thabeitkyin township is located
on the Irrawaddy river north of Mandalay. In former years, access
to Mogok was via river steamer to Thabeitkyin.
From there, the road heads east to Mogok, some 60 km away (today
a road heads directly to Mogok from Mandalay).
Rubies at Thabeitkyin were
reportedly mined
as early as the 1870s, though no valuable stones were found
until the reign of King Thebaw [1878–1885]. U Yauk, from
Ye-nya-u village, is said to have found a ruby the size of a
hen's egg.19 Since all large finds
were considered the property of the king, the stone was duly
delivered to the palace. This was how the king came to learn
of rubies at Thabeitkyin, and from that point on a ruby tax
was levied on the villagers of the area.
Old mining sites at Thabeitkyin
are west of Wabyudaung, at Twindawgyi, Kyaukpya, Ohnbaing and
Ye-nya-u Pandwin. In the 1930s, ruby was found at Kyet-saung-taung,
Zaneechaung and Nyaungbintha. Kyet-saung-taung lies roughly
5 km southwest of Wabyudaung.
In addition to rubies, blue
and star sapphires have been recovered from Thabeitkyin.
In recent years, several
spots in the Thabeitkyin tract have been worked, mainly for
spinel. Bangkok gemologist, Mark Smith, visited a locality known
as "One Cock Hill" in 1998, where people were digging
mainly spinels.
Yet-Kan-Zin-Taung
Corundum is said to occur at Yet-Kan-Zin-Taung village,
which lies on the east side of the Mandalay-Mogok road, some
50 miles (80 km) towards Mogok, near the village of Let-Pan-Hla
(U Hla Win, pers. comm., 27 June, 1994). Good-quality ruby is
said to occur along with red spinels. The locality is also notable
for its production of red star spinels. Mining is said to be
difficult due to the rocky nature of the soil.
Naniazeik
(Nanyaseik)
In the early 1890s, ruby was found at Naniazeik, Myitkyina
district, Kachin State. Naniazeik lies some 80 km west of Myitkyina
and 19 km west of Kamaing. According to Penzer (1922), Warth examined
the deposit, in 1895. "He [Warth] stated that rubies, sapphires,
and spinels were obtained from the detritus afforded by the disintegration
of crystalline limestones surrounded by intrusive masses of granite."
The most complete description
of this occurrence is that of Chhibber (1934), with Tanatar (1907),
Bleeck (1908) and Hertz (1912) also weighing in with reports.
Chhibber (1934) examined the deposit in the early 1890s. He described
the major localities as being in the neighborhood of Mawthit and
Marrawmaw. Shan women would wash for gold, while the males would
work for rubies and other gems. In addition to ruby, spinel is
also found. Their color was said to vary from a near-opaque, dark
green to a bright, translucent red, with the latter color being
rare. Metamorphosed limestones were thought to be the source of
origin for both the rubies and spinels.
The author is unaware of anything
published on this deposit since Chhibber in 1934. In 1996 and
1997, the author visited the village of Naniazeik. Inquiries were
made about mining in the area, but little work was apparently
taking place. In late 1997, gemologists George Bosshart and Thet
Oo visited Naniazeik, where they were shown corundum rough, mostly
pink and blue, with some small reds. Diamonds are also found in
the area. A restaurant owner stated to them that the alluvial
deposits north of the village were more productive than those
to the south. (G. Bosshart, pers. comm., 21 July, 1999)
| Figure 50. Möng Hsu
rubies |
|
 |
 |
| In their untreated state,
Möng Hsu rubies typically display a bluish core. |
 |
Heat treatment removes the bluish
core, leaving white clouds in its place.
(Photos: Tony Laughter) |
|
Möng
Hsu (Shan: Maing Hsu)
In 1991, U Tin Hlaing first reported on the occurrence of ruby
at Möng Hsu. The following is based largely on his reports
(Hlaing, 1991, 1993a, 1994).
Rubies at Möng Hsu were
said to have been discovered by a local resident who had worked
as a miner at Mogok. While bathing in the Nam Nga stream, which
runs near the town of Möng Hsu, he stumbled across rubies
among the pebbles on the banks. Thus began the most recent of
Burma's ruby rushes. Fortune seekers flocked to the area
and the population swelled from 8000, to over 30,000 at the peak
of mining activity. This tapered off, however, as between April
and June, 1993 the price for Möng Hsu ruby rough dropped
by half (Hlaing, 1994).
Möng Hsu is one day's
drive northeast of Taunggyi, (173 km by road; 83 km as the crow
flies). It lies between the Nam Pang and Salween rivers. Typical
of many areas in Burma's Shan States, the population of the
Möng Hsu area consists of Shans in the valleys, with hill
tribes (Palaungs at Möng Hsu) living at higher elevations.
These Palaungs were involved in tea cultivation before the discovery
of ruby (Hlaing, 1994).
Mining was initially restricted
to valley alluvials, but later moved into the in-situ marble deposits
in the surrounding limestone hills. Minerals associated with the
ruby are flattened quartz, green tourmaline, red-brown garnet,
staurolite, pyrite, and radiating acicular tremolite (Hlaing,
1993a).
In early 1994, the Burmese
government was said to be considering joint ventures with foreign
firms for the mining of ruby at Möng Hsu (Ted Themelis, pers.
comm., Feb., 1994). Similar noises were made in 1989–90
about allowing foreigners to mine at Mogok, but turned out to
be nothing but a pipe dream.
Much of the material mined
at Möng Hsu makes its way into Thailand, particularly through
Mae Sai. Initially the deposit has shown great promise, so much
so that by the early 1990s, Möng Hsu was supplying the world
with as much as 90% or more of all facet-grade ruby in sizes of
2.0 cts. and under.
But this material is not without
its problems. Most of the Möng Hsu ruby is heavily fractured.
Thai burners combat this by heating the stones in the presence
of flux (typically borax), which heals the fractures shut. Unfortunately,
the fact that this treatment was performed on virtually all rubies
from this deposit was not disclosed to buyers by sellers in Thailand,
leaving these customers feeling literally like they had been "burned."
The eventual result was a rejection of these goods by a substantial
number of buyers.
Today, this flux-healing treatment
is generally known by most buyers, meaning that Möng Hsu
rubies fetch prices far less than their fully natural brethren
from Mogok. For a full description of the problems with Möng
Hsu ruby, see the author's Foreign
Affairs: Fracture Healing/Filling of Möng Hsu Ruby.
Characteristics
of Möng Hsu (Burma) corundum
Since the discovery of ruby at Möng Hsu, good reports
of their characteristics have been published. These are summarized
in the following table on Mong Hsu rubies:
Properties of Möng Hsu (Burma) ruby
| |
Description
|
| Color
range/
phenomena |
Generally
medium to deep red. Before heat treatment, crystals display
cores of a blue to violet color. Such blue cores are eliminated
during heat treatment. Star stones have not been reported.
|
| Geologic
formation |
Found
in primary metamorphosed crystalline limestone (marble),
as well as secondary deposits derived from the same |
| Crystal
habit |
Well-formed
crystals consisting of pyramids/bipyramids terminated by
the basal pinacoid. Development of the hexagonal prism is
generally slight. |
| RI
&
birefringence |
RI readings
may vary depending upon the area of the crystal tested,
with higher RIs found in the crystal center. It has been
hypothesized that this is due to higher Cr concentrations
in crystal centers.
n omega
= 1.760–1.770; n epsilon
= 1.768–1.778 Bire. = 0.008 to 0.009 |
| Specific
gravity |
3.97
to 4.01 |
| Spectra
|
Visible:
Strong Cr spectrum, identical to other natural and synthetic
rubies
Ultraviolet: Differences were found
between the UV spectra before and after heat treatment.
Heat-treated specimens showed dramatically increased transmission
from 340-280 nm.
Infrared: Sharp peaks were recorded
at 3189, 3233, 3299, 3310, 3368, 3380, and 3393 wavenumbers.
Such peaks have not been found in rubies from other sources. |
| Fluorescence
|
UV:
Moderate to very strong red (LW stronger than SW) |
| Other
features |
Not
reported |
| Inclusion
types |
Description
|
| Solids
|
Many
Möng Hsu rubies possess no solid inclusions. When they
are found, they tend to occur near the surface, making them
rare in cut gems. Those identified to date include the following:
• Apatite
(Smith & Surdez, 1994)
• Chlorite: Mg-rich (Peretti
& Schmetzer et al., 1995)
• Diaspore: in veins. These
were not found in heat-treated specimens and are easily
confused with glass infilling (Smith, 1995).
• Dolomite: colorless,
rounded to subhedral grains (Smith & Surdez, 1994)
• Feldspar: plagioclase
(Peretti & Mullis et al., 1996)
• Fluorite: euhedral crystals
(Peretti & Schmetzer et al., 1995)
• Mica: white (Peretti
& Schmetzer et al., 1995); fuchsite & Mg-chlorite
(Peretti & Mullis et al., 1996)
• Rutile: red-brown crystals
(J. Koivula, pers. comm., 28 Feb., 1995) |
| Cavities
(liquids/gases/solids) |
•
Secondary fluid inclusions (healed fractures) are common,
in a variety of patterns. Many of these result from flux-assisted
healing of fractures during heat treatment. See the author's
Foreign Affairs article
for more information on this treatment. |
| Growth
zoning |
•
Straight angular growth zoning parallel to the crystal
faces is present in all specimens. Irregular `treacle'-like
swirls in other directions. Zoning can be extremely sharp
(use shadowing illumination).
• Many crystals display zoned blue cores
(such areas actually alternate blue and red) at their center.
Such blue zoning may also be found in other parts of the
crystal. Heat treatment eliminates such blue areas. |
| Twin
development |
•
Polysynthetic glide twinning on the rhombohedron {1011}
is often present
• Twinning has also been seen on the
first-order hexagonal prism {1010} |
| Exsolved
solids |
•
Clouds of tiny exsolved inclusions of unknown identity
are common. As with all exsolved inclusions, these follow
the growth structure of the crystal, and are concentrated
relative to the original impurity content of the crystal
at that stage of growth.
• Extremely fine, short rutile needles
have been rarely seen |
| |
Möng
Hkak
Vague reports of a Kengtung Stone Tract have existed for years
(Halford-Watkins, 1934). In 1993, U Tin Hlaing (1993b) gave
specific information on a sapphire deposit in that area. Located
in the Southern Shan States, 75 km east of Möng Hsu and
just north of Kengtung, sapphires are said to occur in a secondary
deposit associated with surrounding metamorphic (schist, gneiss)
and igneous (granite, basalt) country rocks. The gems were found
near the village of Wai Hpa Fai, 5 km from Möng Hkak, with
ethnic Wa mining sapphire from open pits. Möng Hkak sapphires
are said to have an average length of 1.5 cm, with gem-quality
material being "much smaller (about 0.3 mm in size)"
(Hlaing, 1993b). This description of the size of the gem material
may be a typographical error, for unless larger material were
forthcoming, the deposit would seem to have little potential.
Blue-green bi-color sapphires are also said to be found at Möng
Hkak (Hlaing,
1993b).
Nawarat
& Namhsa
Kane & Kammerling (1992) reported on two additional areas
where ruby has been found. Nawarat,20
also known as Pyinlon, lies in the northern Shan State, near
the Chinese border; Namhsa is some 15 km north of Nawarat. Mining
in this area has apparently been ongoing since 1990. Immediately
after the 1991 MGE emporium, a 5.25-ct faceted ruby "of
exceptional color and clarity" was shown to Kane &
Kammerling. This gem was later christened the Nawarat
Tharaphu, and was reportedly cut from a 9.70-ct piece of
rough found on April 23, 1990 at Nawarat.
Pilgrimage
to Mogok |
|
Everyone
has their own personal Mecca, their own pilgrimage
to make. For myself, it has been Burma's
Mogok Stone Tract. I waited patiently for over
15 years for this door to open. In April-May of
1996, it happened.
Mogok
was everything I expected, and more. The town
itself is no longer a small village of a few thousand
inhabitants, but a bustling city. Today, the entire
district probably contains 300,000–500,000
inhabitants. These consist of Burmese and Shan
(Buddhist), Nepalese Gurkhas (Hindu), Lisu (Christian
and Animist), along with a smattering of Muslims,
Sikhs and those of Eurasian origin. The region's
population has swelled tremendously in recent
years, following the Burmese government's
liberalization of the gem trade.
Today,
urban Mogok encompasses everything from Myintada
in the southwest, to On Bin, in the northeast.
One valley over, the town of Kyatpyin has merged
with Kathé. Many areas, which were once
distinct villages, are now simply urban appendages
of either Mogok or Kyatpyin.
During
my trips, in addition to Mogok/Kyatpyin, I visited
mines at Ah Chauk Taw, Chaunggyi, Dattaw, Inn
Chauk, Inn Gaung, Lay Oo, Lin Yaung Chi, On Bin,
Ongaing, Pingu Taung, Pyaung Gaung, Shwe Pyi Aye,
Thurein Taung, and Yadanar Kaday-kadar.
Today,
the easily-accessible valley alluvials have been
exhausted, and thus mining has largely moved to
hillside and hard-rock deposits. During the author's
five days in Mogok, not a single twinlon was seen,
with the only valley mines observed consisting
of lebins.
Hard-rock
mining takes place at a number of localities,
including Dattaw, Thurien Taung, and Lin Yaung
Chi, among others.
Perhaps
the most exciting part of my journey was a visit
to a loodwyin at Thurien
Taung. The indefatigable Dr. Saw Naung Oo, who
resides in nearby Kyauk Pyatthat, guided us through
thin cracks deep inside the mountain. These represented
solution cavities and fissures within the marble,
and provide places for gems to concentrate. Small
wooden channels have been constructed to carry
the overburden and byon
out for washing. While most loos consist of narrow
cracks, in places these widen out into limestone
caverns. Dr. Saw Naung Oo told us of one chamber
at Yadanar Kaday-kadar which was nearly as big
as a football field.
Another
fascinating day was spent traveling to Bernardmyo.
Transport was Willy's Jeep, ca. 1950, but
the road was strictly 19th century ox-cart path.
Indeed, while it takes 1.5 hours by jeep, one
can walk it in less than six. This gives some
idea of the speed of the jeep. Thankfully, while
the jeep sometimes carries as many as 20 passengers,
ours had only five.
Halfway
to Bernardmyo is the fascinating Inn Chauk mine,
where rubies are pried from beneath towering marble
pillars. Due to weathering, such marble outcrops
feature a black skin, and are common throughout
the Mogok area.
At Pyaung
Gaung, peridot is obtained by blasting in a peridotite.
Bernardmyo itself is a small village inhabited
by Chinese and Lisu. Nearby is a cemetery, where
tombstones bear mute witness to early trials of
British soldiers in this area. Most graves date
from 1888–1892.
My pilgrimage
to Mogok was a dream come true. It is a Mogok
tradition that one wishes the owner luck when
leaving a mine. Thus, to the people of Mogok I
wish them luck. Kyauk gyi,
kyauk gaung, yaba zay. Good luck. May the
stones you find bring you as much happiness as
my visit to Mogok brought me.
Mining areas
and trading
While a variety of stones are found in most deposits,
local inquiries revealed that certain areas are
famous for a particular variety.
| Locality |
Varieties |
| Ah Nauttaw |
Good star rubies |
| Balongyi |
Top star rubies |
| Dattaw |
Good TP rubies |
| Ho Mine |
Top TP rubies |
| Inn Gaung |
Good star rubies |
| Kyauk Sin |
Good fancy spinels |
| Kyauk Pyatthat |
Good blue sapphires |
| Lebin Sin |
Top TP rubies |
| Lin Yaung Chi |
Good TP rubies |
| Mainglong |
Tourmaline |
| On Bin |
Top red spinels; good fancy
spinels |
| Pyaung Gaung |
Top peridot |
| Sakangyi |
Quartz, topaz |
| Shwe Pyi Aye |
Good TP rubies |
| Sinkwa |
Good star blue sapphires |
| Thurein Taung |
Top TP blue sapphires |
| Yadanar Kaday Kadar |
Top star blue sapphires; Good
TP blue sapphires |
The Mogok area also features
several regular gem markets, which have certain
specialties and times of operation.
| Market |
Time |
Specialty |
| Kyatpyin town |
|
|
| Cinema-hall area |
09:00–11:00; 14:00–17:00 |
All kinds of gems from the western
part of the Mogok Stone Tract |
| Inn Gaung |
15:00–18:00 (every 5th
day) |
Various kinds of rough |
| Mogok town |
|
|
| Lay Oo |
07:00–09:00 |
Small rough of all kinds |
| Myintada |
15:00–18:00 |
Small rough |
| Peik Shwe |
9:00–12:00; 14:00–17:00 |
All kinds of rough and cut stones.
This is the biggest market in the Mogok area
(3 Kyat entrance fee) |
Yoke Shin Yone
(Cinema Hall) |
15:00–17:00 |
Fine gems. Also a meeting place
for exchanging information on mining and trading. |
| Bernardmyo village |
Every fifth day |
Peridot, enstatite, diopside
and other semi-precious stones |
| Note: The best stones are not
offered in the markets at all, but are shown
to customers in private homes. |
In the
past few years, trading in Burma has undergone
a revolution. Just four years ago, private gem
trading was illegal; today, both rough and cut
stones can be freely purchased by foreigners with
dollars from licensed traders, with only a 10%
export tax to be paid. And most importantly, such
licenses are cheap and easy for locals to obtain.
Thus, for the first time in over 30 years, private
trading and export of gems is both simple and
legal. In a
land where private business was once the sole
province of the tatmadaw
(military), these changes are nothing short of
remarkable. Make no mistake, the tatmadaw still
has their fingers in many pies, but, for the first
time in decades, they are allowing others to have
a taste, too. |
|
 |
| Figure 51. Foreign buyers
examine rough jadeite at the 1992 gem emporium at
Rangoon's Inya Lake Hotel. Such emporiums were
once the only legal way to do business in Burma, but
today trading is possible via licensed private gem
dealers. (Photo by the author) |
|
Future prospects for Burma
Production
from Burma's mines
has never been great, a fact consistently overlooked by those
seeking to exploit the deposits.
Although mining methods have improved over the past few years,
production remains small. This has pushed prices for Mogok rubies
and sapphires to record levels. Prospects for the future appear
no better than the past. While it is likely that material remains
in the ground waiting to be mined, only a change in government
seems destined to bring about a total revitalization of Burma's
gem and jewelry industry. In the meantime, other sources, such
as Thailand, and recently Vietnam, fill, to a degree, the world's
appetite for ruby. This may push away the pangs of hunger, but
it does not satisfy the heart's longing for the storied
stones of history. Thus the world is forced to wait, with bated
breath, for the day when the glowing red stones of Burma will
again take their rightful place as the world's premier
ruby.
Notes
18. The "Royal Loo" was also mentioned by Brown and Judd
(1896), but described it as being at Bobedaung, near Mogok.
It seems likely that the name was applied to any deposit that
produced a "Royal" ruby.[ return to chapter text ]
19.Rubies
the size of "a hen's egg" have been frequently
reported in the literature. The author is still waiting to see
his first fine specimen of such a size.[ return to chapter text ]
20.
Literally "nine gem talisman," which is related to
the nine planets of Vedic astrology. Ruby, the gem of the sun,
is traditionally placed at the center.[ return to chapter text ]
21.
Witness Samuel Chappuzeau, who in 1671 wrote of Burma: "Nothing
comes thence but Rubies, and not in so great quantities as is
believed, seeing that every year there comes not out to the
value of an hundred thousand Crowns, and amongst them you'll
very rarely find a Stone of four or five Carrats that is fair." [ return to chapter text ]
Further Reading
This page is http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/r-s-bk-burma6.htm v. 1.0
Page updated
11 August, 2008
|
