My Burma Myanmar gemstones :)

[Burmesedaze]

Here's a lovely very clear rose quartz that I'm told is getting harder to find in Myanmar for such clarity. Larger sizes are similarly getting rare and expensive.

Got it set in silver then plated with rose gold

 

[Burmesedaze]

Upcoming projects being set in Hong Kong right now. Hope to get them by end November

 

[Burmesedaze]

Some more...

 

[Burmesedaze]

A few more that I'd keep for the time being till more come along to make something out of them.

 

[Burmesedaze]

A pair of Mong Hsu rubies. These are unheated and untreated, so you can see the black rutile inclusions they are known for. Will be set with simple 4 prongs to go in my existing tiny diamond jackets.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Just scooped up these 2 pairs at a bargain price which are nicer blues than my first pair. From Mogok and untreated.

The ovals are around 0.8ct each and the cushions between 0.9ct-1ct. Waiting for the lab certs.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Thanks for sharing pics of your collection!

 

[Burmesedaze]

Glad you enjoyed viewing them, LisaRN

 

[elle_71125]

Wow. That's a lot of beauty to take in. I really love the light purple ring...gorgeous.

 

[Seaglow]

Got a chance to go to Mandalay a few days back and got a nice purple spinel pendant and a Jade ring. you are right about the Jade. Hardly any icy even at the Jade market. The icy ones are Type B.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Thanks, elle

Oh seaglow, I was in Mandalay from Wed to Fri this week! But for work, so no time to check out the jade market. 3rd time to Mandalay and really no time to spare on such trips. Where did you buy the purple spinel from, if you don't mind me asking?

Here are several faceted amber pieces procured by my jeweller. I picked out the reddest to be set into a silver ring for my mum. They are surprisingly sparkly for my mum and only around US$100 each.

 

[Burmesedaze]

So excited! My jeweller negotiated this 3.6ct light blue untreated Mogok sapphire for about US$1000, which I think is an awesome deal, as the seller wanted a quick sale to donate the money for a religious festival tomorrow. Can't wait to get my grubby hands on the gem for decent shots.

 

[chroman]

Wow, nice find on that sapphire!

 

[Seaglow]

I was deciding whether to go to Yangon or Mandalay but decided on Mandalay eventually.

I got the pinkish purple spinel pendant at a Chinese Jewellery Shop beside the Jade Market. It is made with 18k white gold. Burmese gold and set locally. I estimate it to be 3 carats or more. Sent it to the lab and it's natural. I also got a Jade are Yi at the same shop. It is with 18k rose gold set in China. The shop owner are Burmese Chinese. Not that translucent as you can see compared to the cab I bought from the Thai factory, but it is type A with uncovered backing and I like the design. I tried my luck at the market, bought a cab and sent it to the lab but it turned our B Jade. Lol. Oh well. If I had time I would have bought a small stone and had it carved.

The spinel flowers I got from a shop at the center across the street from Marvel Hotel.

Nice sapphire btw.

 

[Seaglow]

The spinel colors. The silky pink flower at the bottom is a sapphire.

 

[Keeliamira]

Wow, burmesedaze, what a collection! Your newest sapphire is gorgeous! I've loved reading through all your posts.

Those sweet flowers are lovely, seaglow!

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

My first pink sapphire purchase. This is 1.8 something carats, sweet light pink, rectangular native cut, pretty good clarity but the shape is a tad tough for a classic "halo" setting. Settled for this as co-proposed by the Myanmar goldsmith. It's rather chunky to wear on my fat fingers and I paid a premium for the 18k white gold as apparently there's no labour fee for 18 yellow gold, but they levy that for white gold. In addition to a higher per gram charge. As gold is really king in Myanmar, they can't exactly do thin delicate settings unless there's a pre-existing machined mold, I was told. This was set before the Hong Kong settings company first came to town.

Color just like my first pink. Still fighting with camera settings in phone.
Oh, and compliments of course for all that beauty. Living in Burma must be a gemcollectors dream, right?

 

[Burmesedaze]

chroman & Keeliamira - Thanks for reading! I'm totally stoked with the gems and the prices

Seaglow - LOVE the spinel and I have finger envy. Your slim fingers go very well with the jade rings! That is a nice sized ru yi for your finger. I *might* head to Mandalay next week for work again, except my flight back when I have some free time to spare before making that long drive to the airport is on a public holiday. Not sure if the shops and market would be open What do you plan to do with the spinel and sapphire flowers? Btw, did you see the Jade Pagoda donated by a jade mine owner midway between the airport and the city? It's going to be the key attraction for a mixed-use residential and commercial development called Jade City.

normanintheskywithsapphires - I totally get what you mean with the camera settings in the phone. I can't catch certain shades as well as the camera tends to over-intensify the colours. Oh yes, such shopping and collecting here makes up (to some extent) for all the work and living stress. Finding a reliable jeweller is the greatest gem

 

[Burmesedaze]

The 3.6ct light blue sapphire in the noon sun. It's lighter than the photos and possibly leaning a tad grey, but very sparkly. Only a feather across a corner but no other eye visible inclusions. Cert is still pending. It faces up around 2+ct.

 

[minousbijoux]

Do you like your sapphire?

 

[Burmesedaze]

Do you like your sapphire?

Yes I do

 

[minousbijoux]

Do you like your sapphire?

Yes I do

Oh good! I wasn't quite sure from your response.

 

[Seaglow]

Seaglow - LOVE the spinel and I have finger envy. Your slim fingers go very well with the jade rings! That is a nice sized ru yi for your finger. I *might* head to Mandalay next week for work again, except my flight back when I have some free time to spare before making that long drive to the airport is on a public holiday. Not sure if the shops and market would be open What do you plan to do with the spinel and sapphire flowers? Btw, did you see the Jade Pagoda donated by a jade mine owner midway between the airport and the city? It's going to be the key attraction for a mixed-use residential and commercial development called Jade City.

I still have no idea about the flowers but a halo ring in one of them I think would look nice. I didn't see the Jade Pagoda. I didn't know about it but maybe next time. Soon I plan to check the gem markets at Mae Sot or Mai Sai borders. You should swing by Thailand as well when you have time for the yellow and green sapphires.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Seaglow - LOVE the spinel and I have finger envy. Your slim fingers go very well with the jade rings! That is a nice sized ru yi for your finger. I *might* head to Mandalay next week for work again, except my flight back when I have some free time to spare before making that long drive to the airport is on a public holiday. Not sure if the shops and market would be open What do you plan to do with the spinel and sapphire flowers? Btw, did you see the Jade Pagoda donated by a jade mine owner midway between the airport and the city? It's going to be the key attraction for a mixed-use residential and commercial development called Jade City.

I still have no idea about the flowers but a halo ring in one of them I think would look nice. I didn't see the Jade Pagoda. I didn't know about it but maybe next time. Soon I plan to check the gem markets at Mae Sot or Mai Sai borders. You should swing by Thailand as well when you have time for the yellow and green sapphires.

Hehe which parts of Thailand would we be able to find the green and yellow sapphires? Quite a large amount of rough in Myanmar is sold wholesale through border trade to Thailand. I've met some Burmese, who can't speak Burmese, but were in Yangon for the pagoda pilgrimage and wanted to sell off their remaining garnets at the Gem Museum where my jeweller is, for money for their passage home. They had to use English to converse and my jeweller thinks they are probably working for the rebel-controlled zones down South which have mines and sell direct over the border to Thailand.

I'd like to see the flower ring when you get it cast

 

[Burmesedaze]

Better shots of the lively cherry red faceted Burmite amber for my mum. I was told this shade used to be plentiful in the past, with much of it sold to the Chinese. It's getting harder to get these red Burmite amber. Yellow ones are plentiful.

 

[Seaglow]

The yellow and green sapphires are mined in Chanthaburi but it is available with dealers in key cities. Also lots of black spinels around that are very, very affordable at big sizes.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Ooohh I would be interested in vivid yellow sapphires might head to Bangkok 1 weekend. An old collegemate just relocated there and asked me to catch up too.

In the meantime, my next jadeite project

 

[Burmesedaze]

A 1.83 peachy pink spinel from Mogok for me today, taken alongside the 3.6ct light blue sapphire.

Not sure what I'd do with it eventually, not a common colour in modern day Myanmar anymore, I was told.

 

[Burmesedaze]

It's been a fruitful weekend and the last for a few weeks in Yangon before I head off on multiple business trips.

A 1.26ct purplish pink sapphire with a nick, which can be covered by a prong. Unheated, from Mogok and quite a steal. Absolutely sparkly in daylight but I can't get a shot of that without washing out the pink.

I'm planning to start collecting a few of these smaller sizes and look out for a slightly larger one to make a necklace somewhat like the DBTY style but with a removable pendant I can switch around with.

 

[Burmesedaze]

A few assorted photos.

My mum's remade amethyst ring, Myanmar goldsmith.

Burmite amber looking like malt candy!

Smaller pairs of blue sapphires which I'm looking through, with plans for a DBTY inspired necklace