NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar (Kashmir English): Myanmar has said that it had discovered a massive 11,000-carat ruby, one of the largest ever found in the country renowned for its precious gemstones.
Unearthed in the Mogok area, located in Myanmar’s Mandalay Region, the ruby is “exceptionally large, rare, and difficult to find,” the new military-backed government said in a statement.
Mandalay is known as the “Valley of Rubies,” a primary source of the highest-quality “pigeon-blood” rubies, sapphires, and other gemstones.
“The giant ruby has a purplish-red colour with yellowish undertones and is considered to have a high-quality colour grade,” the government statement added.
The ruby is smaller than a similar 21,450-carat ruby found in the same area in 1996. However, the recently discovered stone is more valuable “due to its superior colour, clarity, and overall quality,” the government said without giving a precise value.
Emperors, kings, and warlords have long fought for the control of the valley of Mogok in the Mandalay region, where the unique “pigeon-blood” stones lie hidden.
The Mogok rubies are recognized as the most expensive worldwide, with the highest-quality jewels fetching multi-million-dollar prices in an industry notoriously bereft of regulation.
Myanmar being ruled by a junta
The country has been ruled by a junta since a 2021 coup that triggered a civil war, but its former military chief was sworn in last month as civilian president after a tightly restricted election.
