gems, corundum, Burma.12

A richly illustrated contemporary account of rubies and the Mogok mining district of Upper Burma. Darte begins with the ruby’s historical reputation, folklore, gemological properties, color varieties, dichroism, and distinction from spinel and garnet, identifying the deep, slightly bluish carmine-red Burmese “pigeon-blood” as the most prized color. He notes a revival in the American ruby market beginning in 1912, attributed partly to the prominence of “ruby-red” during the coronation of George V and to fashions employing calibre-cut colored stones with diamonds. The principal focus is Mogok, regarded as the source of the finest rubies. Darte describes the district, its history and traditional royal monopoly, and three types of workings: “Twin-lone” pits exploiting alluvial byon or ruby-bearing earth; hillside “Hmyaw-Dwin” workings; and limestone cave or “Loo-Dwin” deposits, where fewer but larger and better-quality stones were reportedly recovered. Traditional washing methods are contrasted with the mechanized operations of the Burma Ruby Mines company, employing pumps, trucks, rotary pans, and a pulsator. Considerable attention is given to celebrated large rubies, their weights, values, and historical owners, although some accounts are explicitly acknowledged as unverified. The article concludes with the secrecy historically surrounding Mogok, the marketing of its production through London and Paris, and the cutting and recutting of Burmese rubies in Europe. Particularly valuable are contemporary photographs showing a native ruby market, a Mogok cutting shop, a ruby merchant and his family, the transport of byon in mine cars, and the mechanized ruby-washing plant.