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Mogok


10,000 carat "Big Mama" mined in Mogok	Mogok Mines	Ruby selecting

Mogok has been famous since ancient times for its gemstones, especially ruby and sapphire, but semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, garnet, moonstone, peridot and chrysoberyl are also found. The gems are found in alluvial limestone gravels by means on panning, tunnelling and digging pits by hand. There is little mechanization in the mining. Gems are sold in markets in Mogok; however, foreigners require special permits to visit the town, and purchase/export of gems from Myanmar at non-government licensed dealers is illegal. 90% of the world's rubies come from Myanmar.
The red stones from there are prized for their purity and hue. The "Valley of Rubies", the mountainous Mogok area, 200 km (125 miles) north of Mandalay, is noted for its rare pigeon's blood rubies and blue sapphires. Many geologists now believe that the Mogok Stone Tract may be larger than formerly believed, being 10 to 25 miles wide and extending from Putao in Kachin State in the far north of Myanmar to Moattama in Mon State nearly 1200 kilometres to the south. The mines in Mogok are dotted around the town and the surrounding hills, and range from simple open pits, to single deep shafts, to tunnels blasted out of marble hillsides.
Some of the mines are located in areas where gems are contained in associated limestone marble or calcite and are more than 300 meters deep. Most of the smaller mines are privately owned by Burmese citizens who have paid a license fee to the government. Other mines are owned by corporations, either solely, or in joint ventures with the government. The government was once the sole owner of many of the most productive mines, but has now turned these over to joint venture consortiums. The richest mines in Mogok have names such as Yadana Kaday-Kadar, Shwe Pi Aye, Lin Yaung Gyi, and Pyaung Gaung. These mines are easily recognized by their sophisticated and expensive equipment, as well as the vast numbers of top-notch geologists roaming the premises. Most of the mines operate in the same way. Gem bearing gravel is hauled away from the pit or shaft, emptied into a series of sluices which wash away the lighter material, and the heavy residue, which hopefully contains gems, is then dried and methodically studied for the telltale shine or colour of precious stones. It is backbreaking work, only for the strong of limb, but the rewards, in a relative sense, can be substantial. It is tradition in the area to share profits with the workers, partly as a reward and partly as an incentive to keep everyone honest Each day, at various parts of the valley, one can find a number of outdoor gem markets, where townsfolk come to trade stones, stories, and gossip. In these markets one can see literally thousands of stones, although most are of average quality. The finer stones, if sold in Mogok at all (and not Mandalay, Yangon, Bangkok or elsewhere), are generally only visible within the walls of the town's more grand homes, and then only to those deemed able to both understand and afford them. Most of the mines operate in the same way. Gem bearing gravel is hauled away from the pit or shaft, emptied into a series of sluices which wash away the lighter material, and the heavy residue, which hopefully contains gems, is then dried and methodically studied for the telltale shine or colour of precious stones.
It is backbreaking work, only for the strong of limb, but the rewards, in a relative sense, can be substantial. It is tradition in the area to share profits with the workers, partly as a reward and partly as an incentive to keep everyone honest. Each day, at various parts of the valley, one can find a number of outdoor gem markets, where townsfolk come to trade stones, stories, and gossip. In these markets one can see literally thousands of stones, although most are of average quality. The finer stones, if sold in Mogok at all (and not Mandalay, Yangon, Bangkok or elsewhere), are generally only visible within the walls of the town's more grand homes, and then only to those deemed able to both understand and afford them.