vesting in Burmese Ruby has always been, and will remain so for the foreseeable future, a wise investment. They are valuable stones, and as the world’s natural supplies diminish and the worldwide demand rises, they will become more and more valuable.
In the current market, Burma Ruby are the most sought out and valuable of all the rubies. But, why is that? This article gives you an explanation and shows you why investing in these gemstones is a wise idea.
- Facts About Burmese Ruby
- Burmese VS Mozambique Ruby
- Conflicts surrounding Burmese Ruby
- Low Supply and High Demand
- Why invest in Burmese Ruby ?
1 FACT ABOUT BURMESE RUBY
Did you know? The color of the Burmese rubies is a result of two factors. Gemstone expert Richard Hughes from Lotus Gemology explains the first factor is a slightly bluish-red tone to the body of the color combining with the purer fluorescent emission to give the gemstone its high-intense color.
The second factor Hughes identified are small ‘silk’ inclusions which scatter light on the facets of the gemstone that without these inclusions wouldn’t exist. This in turn, gives the color a natural softness and a great dispersion across the faces of the stone.
Rubies from other sources across the globe can also possess the strong red fluorescence and silk inclusions comparable to those from Myanmar, it is the fine color and the fact that Burmese rubies are internally clean that places them firmly on the top of the ruby value scale.
Did you know? Rubies from Myanmar (formally know as Burma) are a lot younger than their cousins from East Africa. This is a true fact for all rubies mined in the Asian continent which were formed by the collision of the Indian subcontinent with the Asian continent.
Throughout history, tectonic movement has resulted in different natural phenomenon, from the creation of mountains to the cause of earthquakes. They also create mineral formations and regions called Orogenic Belts. Gemstone expert Hughes confidently says that a large amount of fine rubies and sapphires are mined from such areas.
The different in age between rubies found in East Africa and those found in the Indian subcontinent is quite significant. The East African orogeny are believed to have happened around 450 – 750 million years ago. Meanwhile, those found in the orogeny of Asia is believed to have happened 5 – 45 million years ago. And while there is no accurate ruby dating method currently available, it would be a great way to distinguish rubies from the Himalayas or from East Africa and Sri Lanka.
2 BURMESE VS MOZAMBIQUE RUBIES
There are amazing examples of rubies coming from sources around the world, but it was the discovery of the Mozambique mines in the late 2000’s that made a huge impact on the global market. What made it more significant was the ban on Burmese rubies in the US market.
A strong iron presence in the earth gives many sources a slightly brown hue to its rubies. However in Mozambique Ruby, the iron content varies, therefore, the rubies from this country can have a fluorescence and hue similar to those from Myanmar. This fact, and the fact that so little is coming from Myanmar currently is great news for Mozambique, who’s rubies now make up a large percentage of what is available on the market today. Experts even estimate that Mozambique rubies take up 85% of all rubies on the market.
This shows the rarity of Burmese rubies in the market right now. And due to their high demand, they can fetch an astonishing price tag.
3 THE CONFLICT SURROUNDING BURMESE RUBIES
The Burmese military rose to power in 1997 and the USA declared a national emergency, imposing sanctions on the country soon after. In 2008, the US government targeted the import of gemstones, noting that human rights were being violated by the ruling regime and it was evading the imposed sanctions by concealing gemstone origins in order to continue exporting.
Today, those sanctions are no longer in place and rubies from Myanmar can safely be imported into the United States. Leaders from the American Gem Trade Association and Jewelers of America have visited the country to discuss trades. While they were there, they visited the famous Mogok mines, a renowned source for the best rubies.
A report was later released by AGTA informing that the gemstones are sourced in conflict-free zones, except a small number of deposits in Mongshu. They also gave recommendations on how to make the country’s gemstone industry more transparent and how to develop the industry by managing licenses and regulations, etc. Furthermore, AGTA agreed to continue helping Myanmar develop in the future.
4 LOW SUPPLY AND HIGH DEMAND
The fact is, not a great amount of high-quality rubies are coming out of Myanmar right now. The famous Mogok region is practically mined out, according to ruby expert Hughes and other reputable sources.
Alluvial deposits give the best gemstones. Millions of years of weathering naturally removes imperfections such as impure cracked portions of the stone, leaving behind only the purest part of the gem. That is why the alluvial deposits in Mogok produce some of the finest rubies in existence, but now, they are almost empty. Without these alluvial sources, mining involves hard rock. Hard rock produces lower yields and gives low production.
It is worth noting, that even during the ban of Burmese ruby in the United States, like all things illegal, still made into the country. But was is even more important is that while they couldn’t export to the USA, Burma still exported its rubies to other countries around the world. And even then, the supply was still not enough to meet the high demand. So, now that the US have lifted their ban, there is more demand, but even less supply.
5 WHY INVEST IN BURMESE RUBIES?
As you can see, Burmese ruby are the finest on the planet. But besides their high quality, what makes them worth investing or keeping hold of if you own one, is their limited supply which is dwindling ever year. On the other hand, the demand remains high, and might even increase and they become rarer and rarer.
And that high demand – low supply factor is the key reason to invest in these stones.
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