The materials have shining glorious colours mostly embedded with various precious gems and stones. The glass is lit with colourful, shining objects in mosaic art. Valuable precious gems and semi-precious stones are used to invest ordinary utensils and other household articles with glory and splendour to make them unique and attractive and thus fit for royal use.

The Nine Noble Gems also decorate several items for royal use. These items decorated with mosaic were used only by royalty and persons of great wealth.

The nine gems are always set in the same order: the ruby in the middle, the diamond at top centre, then, clockwise, the pearl, the coral, the topaz, the sapphire, the moonstone, the zircon, and finally the emerald.

The ruby is for glory; the diamond for dignity; the pearl for grace; the coral for power; the topaz for health; the sapphire for love; the moonstone for perfection; the zircon for strength; and the emerald for peace.

When brilliant gems and fine stones are put on glass by means of starches from the barks of certain trees, in various styles and designs, this art reaches a high state of workmanship. Light, splendour and brilliance is achieved to bedazzle the eyes of all on-lookers. So Myanmar mosaic is also termed the "art of systematic order on glass" (hman-si-shwe-sha) with gold for further embellishment.

This is a subtle art to be practiced only by the most skilled specialists. Experts make the glass that is to be embossed or embedded in various sizes and shapes in the forms of circles, squares, triangles, ovals, etc. according to the dictates of harmony and artistry. Even valuable gems and pearls are embossed or embroidered or bedecked in suitable ways.

Mosaic Landscape with gems

Mosaic Pillars