New  and stronger sanctions applied to the criminal government of Myanmar in 2008 will limit the availability of gem stones of Burmese origin in the years to come.


The finest quality of Ruby and Jadeite come from Burma.  By finest quality I mean rich pure color and highest transparency.   Burma, like other gem producing states also produces commercial quality stones (low transparency and often treated to hide fractures and improve  color).  I have seen commercial Burmese Ruby selling for as little as 50 cents a carat in Bangkok (12 Baht a carat at the time).  This commercial quality is produced by the ton and will not be too hard to find substitute supply sources to replace the Burmese commercial goods. 

The finest qualities from Burma have always been rarities!


The best Burmese ruby are famous not just for their transparency but their color, an almost pure red!

Most gem stones are actually a mix of two or more colors.  Ruby can be pure red or an orangish-red or a purplish-red. I have even seen reddish purple stones being sold for Ruby; when they should have been called purple Sapphire.

Ice Jadeite    Very Rare! 

Very high transparency,  you can read thru’ these stones!  Some almost colorless, yes Jadeite can be colorless.  These stones were carved in China but their origin was Burma, I bought them years ago from a Chinese dealer.

The polish is superb.   They are NOT waxed.


A common trick is to wax the jade with paraffin,  this hides the scratches in the crevasses of the carving left behind from a short-cut polish job.

left side

right side

A melon? with a fruit bat on the top.

back side

There is a hint of blue color in the lower end of the melon

Pea pod with fruit bat

back side

Dragon, globe in mouth, 43 mm (1 11/16 inch) $600. 

Fish, 29 mm (1 1/8 inch), very pale gray green (white background shows the color better than the black back ground,  $750

Prices include 14 kt. bail, yellow or white.

Melon, 32 mm (1 3/16 inch)  length of jade only,  14 kt. white bail.  very pale gray green at top to very pale blue at bottom.  $550

Pea pod 42 mm (1 5/8 inch) length of jade only.  14 kt. white gold bail.  The white back ground shows the color best.  $750