My Burma Myanmar gemstones :)

[Burmesedaze]

Few more shots and then a visit to Black Elephant Lacquerware Academy run by the most amazing Veronica Gritsenko that spent 20 (yes you read that correctly, 20) years in Bagan. True passion in her works of art which are unique and markedly different from commercial lacquerware. I spent a bomb on these lacquerware (since there were no other gems in Bagan to buy!)

Along the way on the 10-hour drive back to Yangon, stopped at my favourite Italian restaurant in Naypyitaw to grab a much needed bite. The official capital that's rather unpopulated... 5 star hotels below US$100/night!

 

[Burmesedaze]

Delish pasta in Naypyitaw.

Oh and I included shots of my favourite restaurant in Bagan that's housed in an old open air theatre.

 

[ShinyPink]

WOW!!!! What an incredible adventure and beautiful place! Thank you so much for sharing these. It looks like a mesmerizing experience.

 

[Bluegemz]

What pictures! Those temples and the frescos! That lacquerware..(SO beautiful) .the food! What an amazing adventure it must have been. Thank you so much for sharing with us, wow!

 

[suzanne2]

Thanks so much for sharing! You have such diverse interests and are so kind to share. There is a sunset picture that is my favorite color for padparadscha ...I know, I know, I have a one track mind.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Thanks so much for sharing! You have such diverse interests and are so kind to share. There is a sunset picture that is my favorite color for padparadscha ...I know, I know, I have a one track mind.

Ditto that! I naively thought pad sapphires could easily be found where there are sapphires but not a single one to be found here.

 

[Seaglow]

Ditto that! I naively thought pad sapphires could easily be found where there are sapphires but not a single one to be found here.

Ha! I went to Sri Lanka and no pads. The ones I saw I could consider melee sizes sold individually. Lol. I even went to the mining and trading town. Nada. I only got my pads from collectors who had let go of collections. You’d have better luck in gem shows and Bangkok sorting thru stuffs together with pad-wannabes.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Ha! I went to Sri Lanka and no pads. The ones I saw I could consider melee sizes sold individually. Lol. I even went to the mining and trading town. Nada. I only got my pads from collectors who had let go of collections. You’d have better luck in gem shows and Bangkok sorting thru stuffs together with pad-wannabes.

So many wants, not enough supply!!

 

[Burmesedaze]

I love buyinh Italian gold chains in Yangon. They are sold by the weight and work out cheaper than many other countries. Although different shops have different per gram price.

I picked this up today at US$46.50/g. Over 2 grams and with tax, just US$115. 20 inches. The links make it really easy to cut and connect stones, connectors and pearls.

 

[Bluegemz]

I love buyinh Italian gold chains in Yangon. They are sold by the weight and work out cheaper than many other countries. Although different shops have different per gram price.

I picked this up today at US$46.50/g. Over 2 grams and with tax, just US$115. 20 inches. The links make it really easy to cut and connect stones, connectors and pearls.

That will be a great connector chain! I can imagine pearls and/or gem briolets handing from it. Love the yellow gold too!

 

[metall]

I love buyinh Italian gold chains in Yangon. They are sold by the weight and work out cheaper than many other countries. Although different shops have different per gram price.

I picked this up today at US$46.50/g. Over 2 grams and with tax, just US$115. 20 inches. The links make it really easy to cut and connect stones, connectors and pearls.

Oh nice! Is it 18k or 20? I love the deep yellow of this necklace!

 

[Burmesedaze]

Oh nice! Is it 18k or 20? I love the deep yellow of this necklace!

18k

 

[Burmesedaze]

That will be a great connector chain! I can imagine pearls and/or gem briolets handing from it. Love the yellow gold too!

So tempted to buy another strand to either wear on its own or to put on other connectors!

 

[chatoyancy]

18k

Say what? That is an amazing price!!

 

[metall]

Say what? That is an amazing price!!

SeRiOuSlY! That is amazing! Especially for Italian. Do you know what the price per gram of 22k/9999 gold is over there? I'm always in the market for new 9999, and I need to start saving for when I go over there!

 

[ShinyPink]

OK. You need to move. I am becoming extremely jealous of this adventure of yours!

 

[Burmesedaze]

SeRiOuSlY! That is amazing! Especially for Italian. Do you know what the price per gram of 22k/9999 gold is over there? I'm always in the market for new 9999, and I need to start saving for when I go over there!

I don't think they import in the 22k Italian chains. I've only seen the 18k ones so far. They are not local because they can't achieve this level of detail and fineness .

Locally they have gold mines but there is no international accredited refinery here so can't attest to the actual purity of locally processed gold.

I stick to the Italian chains for that reason.

 

[metall]

I didnt know they didnt have a refinery. I figured the reason for the italian gold is that it would be more pure and refined to higher standards not that there was no refinery...period.

The more you know!

 

[Bluegemz]

Also Italians have set up a eloborate machining industry for making chains and other jewelry parts.

 

[Burmesedaze]

I didnt know they didnt have a refinery. I figured the reason for the italian gold is that it would be more pure and refined to higher standards not that there was no refinery...period.

The more you know!

Yes they can't make chains like that here and while the metalsmiths can set jewellery using their wax moulds and locally refined gold, purity is in question, since the local refineries do not conform to international accreditation nor do they have the chemicals, know-how and presumably machinery.

 

[Burmesedaze]

So nice chains have to be imported in from Italy and Thailand

 

[Burmesedaze]

The chrysoberyls arrived. The seller replaced 1 of them with the checkerboard cut cushion that's 6.02ct but faces up small owing to the deep culet. The other lighter 1.8ct with a window goes to my jewellers.

 

[Burmesedaze]

The pics

 

[Burmesedaze]

More

 

[metall]

So nice chains have to be imported in from Italy and Thailand

So interesting! I was learning a bit about gold refining when I was shopping in HK as there are some places my aunt just didn't trust the purity of. Made me think that gold purity was more dependent on the individual maker.

gahhhh @Burmesedaze I love that checkerboard pattern! At the end of this adventure, you have to do one big collection haul! I can't keep up with all your wonderful finds/which setting each stone goes into! As a beginner, every time a different stone pops up I've never heard of, I go to look it up...and before I'm done there's a new gem to look up! I have a list the length of my forearm (in 9pt font) of things I must one day get.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Got these 2 1.13ct and 1.31ct tiny pinkish purple untreated African star sapphires off eBay. Pretty gemmy and sharp stars.

 

[Bluegemz]

Got these 2 1.13ct and 1.31ct tiny pinkish purple untreated African star sapphires off eBay. Pretty gemmy and sharp stars.

So pretty! Love those! I’ve found also that there are some small eBay stars that are great and not too expensive. Any plans for those?

 

[Burmesedaze]

So pretty! Love those! I’ve found also that there are some small eBay stars that are great and not too expensive. Any plans for those?

Yes! These prices are within my comfort zone for online purchases.

They are likely to go towards the star sapphire bracelet.

 

[Bluegemz]

Yes! These prices are within my comfort zone for online purchases.

They are likely to go towards the star sapphire bracelet.

That will be a fabulous bracelet when it’s done!

 

[Bluegemz]

In considering what to do with the tiny stars which I bought...I stumbled across these earrings. It struck me that something like this could be beautiful to assemble with small stars in general.