My Burma Myanmar gemstones :)

[Seaglow]

If you want to do a DBTY necklace, you'd save buying a lot made in a temporary necklace setting. I have a couple of these and I sent them to the lab. Because of the color it should come from the same mine/lot but the treatments are mixed. The lab report indicated unheated, heated (traditional, which is acceptable and common), and glass-filled. I am quite a purist and will take out a couple of glass-filled on one of the necklaces to do a DBTY myself, which funny I was also planning to do as this lot is perfect with a thinner cut yet sparkly and very transparent with good color, many included but very pretty with good color matching. Or better yet I could sort out all the unheated in one necklace but I only plan to use one necklace though. I was able to ask the lab which is which for each stone on one necklace, but unfortunately didn't for the other one (I had one necklace tested first) I asked an independent gemologist who studied Burmese sapphires and rubies as the lab-report went back with "mixed" results. I was expecting natural from my loupe identification, and heated on some, but not glass-filled, and he said borax is used both for traditional-hearing and glass-filled but he thinks they can be traditional heating and not really glass-filled (if there are experts/gemologists here, pls free to chime in).

Here are photos. The rubies on the photos are with the first lab report.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Wowweee seaglow, that's a lot of red sparklies!

I've actually not seem them sold in this matter, except in photos and for pigeon blood rubies. I'd think most sellers here are further down the line rather than wholesalers and yes you'd have to undertake the risk of some being treated etc.

I was also told (can't confirm) that most treatment in Myanmar if the stones are treated would be heat treatment. Glass fillings and such are usually done outside of Myanmar, since most of them wouldn't bother with or don't have the equipment to do so. There are African and Ceylon stones mixed in sometimes.

Haha I think I'll go for smaller lots since my budget is a lot smaller.

I've been invited to visit Mogok by a mine owner who has a house there But my work schedule's so packed this year. Looking at end Feb or early Mar next year when it's not that cold there. They say there are 999 hairpin bends to navigate on the 6-hour drive from Mandalay to Mogok. Gotta stock up on my motion sickness pills before then!

 

[Keeliamira]

Omg, I drool over your jewels! Have you ever heard of a company called Burma Natural Pearls in Bangkok? I've found some of their inventory on line and some of their items, estate pieces especially, are amazing.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Haha more temptation, Keeliamira! Will check them out online

 

[Seaglow]

Burmesedaze, you can definitely afford the necklace. Have you encountered any padparadschas so far?

 

[Burmesedaze]

Burmesedaze, you can definitely afford the necklace. Have you encountered any padparadschas so far?

Nope, not a single pad! I asked my jeweller previously on whether she has seen them in market. She saw 1 a few years back and that was it. These are rather rare colours in Myanmar, so if any are found they are usually sold overseas.

Like she said, you can only find small stones in Myanmar, the big ones are in Hong Kong.

 

[Seaglow]

Burmesedaze,
Thanks for the feedback. The intense colored pads are so difficult to come by. Mostly are pastel. I asked my trader from Chanthaburi to part with her personal collection so not a ring is in the works. I'm excited with this project.

Get the pinks....the hot pink ones....sapphire and spinel while you can....it's becoming quite a hunt to get them. Love your acquisitions.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Ikr!

Hard to find the pinks, gotta be patient and wait for the good deals. There are many included or flatly cut ones about that are also commanding pretty absurd prices for that quality.

 

[_lovesvintage_]

Hi Burmesedaze, I enjoyed reading your gem collecting adventures and looking through your pics in the thread. Thanks so much for sharing. Hope to see your set gems that you mentioned that are supposed to be ready by now on here soon!

 

[Burmesedaze]

Hi Burmesedaze, I enjoyed reading your gem collecting adventures and looking through your pics in the thread. Thanks so much for sharing. Hope to see your set gems that you mentioned that are supposed to be ready by now on here soon!

Eeeks, the HK settings chaps overpromised. They now say sometime in December, which I'm going to assume January! Too many orders to fulfill on their end, since they go around to Thailand and other SEA countries catering to stones to be set!

 

[Burmesedaze]

I'm not back in Yangon, but I did bring back 4 pairs of these Mogok untreated sapphire pairs for my friend to choose from. She chose the bluest oval pair that was 0.85 and 1 carat each stone (unpictured).
I still have these 3 pairs which I would probably keep the oval ones to make a DBTY inspired necklace. They are between 0.6 to 0.8 ct each stone. My jeweller managed to find a 2.+ ct blue sapphire at a great price but with inclusions. She thinks it's ok as a pendant. That can be a removable piece in the middle. Can't wait to check it out next week

 

[Seaglow]

Burmesedaze,

How is the Spinel availability in Yangon for big sizes, reds, and flames?

It's getting pricier from out of there!

 

[Burmesedaze]

Burmesedaze,

How is the Spinel availability in Yangon for big sizes, reds, and flames?

It's getting pricier from out of there!

You have to get them from the specialist traders, those that go to the offices or hotels on a request basis to showcase their wares. Possible to find but at pretty high price points too. How big size are you thinking of?

 

[Seaglow]

Burmesedaze,

How is the Spinel availability in Yangon for big sizes, reds, and flames?

It's getting pricier from out of there!

You have to get them from the specialist traders, those that go to the offices or hotels on a request basis to showcase their wares. Possible to find but at pretty high price points too. How big size are you thinking of?

Above 3 carats.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Will ask for an indicative price, I'd like to know too

What sort of flame red are you thinking of?

 

[Seaglow]

Will ask for an indicative price, I'd like to know too

What sort of flame red are you thinking of?

The reddish orange ones without extinction and look like embers.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Will ask for an indicative price, I'd like to know too

What sort of flame red are you thinking of?

The reddish orange ones without extinction and look like embers.

My jeweller says trade ideal with good cut for a 3 carat is at least us$40,000. I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a couple of beats at that!

 

[Seaglow]

Will ask for an indicative price, I'd like to know too

What sort of flame red are you thinking of?

The reddish orange ones without extinction and look like embers.

My jeweller says trade ideal with good cut for a 3 carat is at least us$40,000. I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a couple of beats at that!

And they're supposed to be 1/10 of the price of Ruby for the same quality.....

 

[Burmesedaze]

Will ask for an indicative price, I'd like to know too

What sort of flame red are you thinking of?

The reddish orange ones without extinction and look like embers.

My jeweller says trade ideal with good cut for a 3 carat is at least us$40,000. I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a couple of beats at that!

And they're supposed to be 1/10 of the price of Ruby for the same quality.....

Maybe 10-20 years ago??

 

[Burmesedaze]

The sapphires with the Malaya garnets from Yvonne Raley.

2nd pic shows the 2.36 natural untreated sapphire from Mogok with the *inclusions*. The cert reads twinned planes and boehmite so I'm guessing the *inclusions* are twinned planes? Please let me know if you know what the inclusions are, thanks!

 

[chrono]

Will ask for an indicative price, I'd like to know too
What sort of flame red are you thinking of?

The reddish orange ones without extinction and look like embers.

My jeweller says trade ideal with good cut for a 3 carat is at least us$40,000. I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a couple of beats at that!

And they're supposed to be 1/10 of the price of Ruby for the same quality.....

And it is still true. A 3 ct unheated ruby with crystal clarity and the pigeon blood designation will be in the millions!

 

[Burmesedaze]

Looking at Seaglow's latest post on her jade lovelies reminded me I've yet to post mine

All type A untreated (other than the traditional wax method) jadeite from Myanmar. No Imperial jade (yet). All are set in silver locally.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Closeup shots

 

[Burmesedaze]

More closeups

 

[Burmesedaze]

First weekend back in Yangon and picked up this 1.1× ct shiny red spinel for less than US$150.
Has an inclusion on the back of it but it's so sparkly, you don't really see it. Planning to set this in a ring later on. Outshines my Mong Hsu rubies (those black rutiles!)

 

[Burmesedaze]

Dad bought a few loose sapphires and rubies from Sri Lanka years ago when he had numerous trips over many years for work in the garment industry there. His colleagues kept bringing him to gem and jewellery workshops where he bought a number of loose stones.

He had a rich pinkish ruby set in this custom made ring when he came home. I brought the ring and loose stones with me to Burma to get them checked. All were heavily glass filled. You can see the minute bubbles with the loupe.

So I had this reset with a nice red spinel (US$300) which dad said is expensive. I retorted that if you want cheap, you end up with glass. Collected this today and its a beauty in this yellow and white gold ring. Around 1.× ct in size.

 

[Burmesedaze]

You won't get the blues with these blues taken under a mix of white and yellow lights. I also decided to do away with the DBTY concept for a blue sapphire necklace.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Preview of my finished icy jadeite earrings already finished setting in Hong Kong in 18k rose gold.

They are looking at coming end Dec or next Jan

 

[Seaglow]

The icy jade halo earrings look fantastic!

 

[Burmesedaze]

Can't wait to get them

I was shown these 2 stones today, both are Mogok untreated.

A 0.73ct ruby, very lovely colour and texture and relatively clean. Looks pinkish under halogen light but it's a red red in daylight. Even colour no zoning to my naked eye. Around US$400.

The other is a light purple sapphire at 1.55ct that the lab calls slight colour change. From this light purple to a pale blue. About US$150. My jeweller will send it for repolishing first before considering it again.

I really like the ruby but it's exceedingly tough to find another this shade and texture for a pair of earrings. But by itself it's pretty tiny. Any ideas anyone? There's just something about it that makes this The most riveting ruby I've seen, small size notwithstanding.