corundum, Burma.12, Mogok, gems

The article describes the ruby mines of Burma at a moment when British occupation had generated considerable interest in their potential value, drawing largely upon a contemporary account in the London Times together with earlier descriptions by Tavernier, Father D’Amato, and Bredemeyer. Tavernier located the principal workings at Kyat-pyen and reported rubies, spinels, sapphires, and other gems, while noting that fine large rubies were scarce and that the Burmese king reserved the best stones. D’Amato, who visited about 1830, described gem-bearing gravel reached by pits 20–30 feet deep, with mining hindered by water; rubies, sapphires, “topaz,” “oriental emeralds,” and abundant spinels were reported, while valuable stones belonged to the king and some were smuggled out through Chinese and Tartar merchants. More recent reports stated that most rubies weighed less than a quarter carat and that larger stones were generally flawed. Fine sapphires, although rare, were reportedly found weighing 9–13 carats, and the royal monopoly yielded about £15,000 annually in 1856. The Times correspondent remained skeptical that British control and improved mining machinery would necessarily make the deposits highly profitable, citing experience in India and Ceylon as grounds for caution. [97–98]