corundum, Burma.12, Mogok, ruby, sapphire, gems

After the Rains early each morning, Saw Sanda Soe, a young girl from a small village in Myanmar (formerly Burma), would begin the long walk to school. If it had rained the night before, others would join her. Not all were students, but each shared the same quest. Eyes were cast not towards heaven, but below, scanning the ground ahead. Occasionally one would stoop down for a closer look, before continuing. Rarely something would be slipped into a mouth or bag. As they made their way along the muddy road, each secretly hoped that the previous night's rain had washed a bit of treasure across their path. For their village was special. It lay at the entrance Myanmar's Mogok Stone Tract, home to the world's finest rubies.