Myanmar announced the discovery of a gigantic ruby weighing 11,000 carats (2.2 kilograms), a find rare even for the country’s premier gemstone hub, Mogok, near Mandalay.
The stone, of a reddish-purple color, was found after the new government backed by the military took office in April, and it is “exceptionally large, rare and hard to find,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Information released on Friday. Due to its color grading and quality, it is considered more valuable than a 21,450-carat ruby found in the same city in 1996, the ministry said, without specifying an estimated value.
Myanmar is known as a source of gemstones and jade, and illegal mining is rampant across the country, whose economy has been devastated by years of civil war and oppressive military rule. A widely criticized general election was held in areas controlled by the military between December and January, with major opposition parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, barred from contesting the polls.
It was not clear who found the 11,000-carat gem, but the rules require miners to report valuable discoveries to the central government, which is now led by former military chief Min Aung Hlaing.
Mogok, in the Mandalay region, has been the scene of major gemstone discoveries in recent decades, including rubies of 496 carats in 1990 and 2,789 carats in 2022, according to official data.
In 2015, a Burmese ruby of 25.59 carats was sold for US$30.33 million at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva.
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