corundum, jade, spinel, Burma.12, Mogok, gems

Chikayama presents a multi-part survey of the gemstone deposits of Burma, drawing in part on his own visits to the country. The series reviews the principal gem-producing districts and the geological occurrence, mining and characteristics of their gem materials. Particular attention is given to ruby and sapphire, spinel and jade, together with other gem and ornamental materials. Localities outside the classic Mogok tract are also described; for example, the Sagyin Hills north of Mandalay, where ruby, spinel and occasional sapphire occur as by-products of marble quarrying. Later researchers regarded Chikayama’s series as an important contemporary source on Burmese gem deposits, while noting that he had not himself visited the Mogok area.