gems, jade, pyroxene jade, jadeite, fei cui, omphacite, kosmochlor, nephrite, geology, Broken Bangle

Myanmar’s fei cui industry is explored through historical research, geological description, accounts of trading practices, and firsthand observations from visits to the Hpakan–Tawmaw mining district in 1996, 1997, and 2004. The chapter emphasizes the cultural, commercial, and human dimensions of the material, complementing gemological treatments elsewhere in the volume. Archaeological finds demonstrate early use of jade in Myanmar, while the familiar story of a Yunnan trader accidentally discovering a valuable boulder is identified as local lore. Historical accounts trace the expansion of trade with China, colonial exploration, military control, restrictions on private mining, and subsequent liberalization. Changes in Chinese demand shifted the principal trading and manufacturing centers from Hong Kong toward mainland China, with Yunnan serving as an important entry route. Discussion of “imperial jade” distinguishes its modern quality connotations from associations with imperial ownership and notes the term’s imprecise historical usage. Geological coverage centers on fei cui formed from hydrous fluids under conditions of high pressure and relatively low temperature within serpentinite bodies. Primary occurrences comprise dikes, whereas much production comes from boulders concentrated in conglomerates and river deposits. Descriptions of mining contrast extraction from exposed dikes with the laborious recognition and recovery of valuable stones among immense quantities of similar-looking material. Miners use sound, surface texture, exposed color, and heft to help identify promising boulders. Evaluating rough remains highly speculative because weathered skins conceal internal color, transparency, fractures, and usable volume. Traders inspect natural show points or polished windows, employ wetting and directed illumination, and sometimes remove skins or progressively slice boulders to define valuable zones. Light scattering can exaggerate the apparent extent of green color, while poorly placed saw cuts can destroy valuable portions. Cloud-like and vein-like color distributions influence cutting orientation and suitability for beads, bangles, or cabochons. Additional localities, including the Hkamti region, are discussed, and material previously reported as jade near Putao is identified as hydrogrossular. Throughout, personal narratives illustrate fortunes gained and lost, the unequal positions of traders and laborers, and the attraction of mining to people facing poverty. A postscript written in 2021 contrasts earlier manual workings with extensive mechanization and the destruction of entire mountains. It describes fatal tailings collapses, heroin addiction, HIV, armed conflict, and political repression as integral to the mining region’s experience. The resulting portrait connects the prestige and beauty of fei cui with the uncertainty of its commerce and the severe social and environmental costs borne by those who extract it.