Since
1993, after establishing themselves
competitively, rubies from Mong Hsu
in Myanmar have replaced Thai rubies
as the market leader. The Mong Hsu
region is located east of the central
Myanmar city of Mandalay. North of
Mandalay is Mogok, an area with a
long tradition of ruby mining. Ruby
rough from Mong Hsu is taken to Thailand
and polished in Chanthaburi.
Although ruby had been mined in Mong
Hsu since the mid-1980s, the material
was brownish and could not be used
as such. In time, methods of high-temperature
heat treatment suited to these crystals
were discovered, and material rivaling
the rubies from Mogok began to appear.
Mong Hsu ruby rough contains more
imperfections than Thai material,
and the chemicals used during heat
treatment may penetrate cracks in
the material, remaining there in
a glass-like form. Such flawed material
may initially seem reasonably priced,
but its value is low. Few Mong Hsu
rubies are notably large or small,
with most polished stones apparently
falling in the range of 0.3 to 0.5
carat.
The six Mong Hsu rubies shown in
the photograph on the next
page are
typical shapes seen in the 0.5- to
1.0-carat range. Ovals are by far
the most common shape seen in today's
market, and they are often used as
the main gemstones in rings. |
These
six rubies were chosen for their
attractive face-up outlines. With
ovals, pear shapes, and heart shapes,
the attractiveness of the rounding
of the shoulders (corners) is key
to beauty. Whether one likes a nearly
round heart shape or an elongated
heart shape is a matter of personal
preference. However, very slight
variations in the lines that define
the actual heart shape can make the
difference between a graceful stone
and a boring one. The quality of
a gemstone's overall appearance cannot
be expressed by numerical values,
yet it is critical when judging beauty.
Shortly before ruby mining began
in Mong Hsu, rubies from Vietnam
had appeared on the market. Yet because
of a combination of negative factors
such as an influx of synthetic stones,
government regulations, and limited
mining quantities, Vietnamese rubies
are rarely seen today in the trading
centers of Thailand. The influx of
synthetic stones was not merely a
problem for the parties involved,
but brought about a general loss
in confidence in Vietnamese rubies,
preventing that industry from developing. |
