Ruby Stone History

Ruby Stone History

There are not many written information available about Burmese Rubies and History only legends of the sort how the first ruby was found in Mogok and similar the whole gets only a bit more reliable after the king ordered to write down the "Glass Palast Chronicles" which were the first compiled and written down.


The problems with this records in Myanmar/Burma is that almost all structures beside temples and pagodas were built from wood and frequently burned down. This changed a bit with the British who had a bit more durable structures built. During the British invasion, lots of valuables were stolen from them  

On the night the captured the palace in Mandalay was captured in 1886 many treasures were smuggled out under the noses of the British soldiers. Guards,/ posted with orders not to allow anyone to enter or leave the palace. The soldiers, being a chivalrous lot, did, however, permit female servants to come and go. Throughout the night that is exactly what they did, taking with them the main share of the palace treasure.

Eventually, no doubt, the stones found their way onto the open market in Lower Burma and India, and then into the private collections of the world's rich. Thus, one of the greatest opportunities lost forever — that of the public display of the most fabulous jewels of the Burr, monarchs, a collection put together over centuries. The likes of it will probably never be possible again. One of the most magnificent Burmese rubies ever found was that known as the `Nga Mauk' (Gna Monk) Ruby  

 During the reign of King Mindon Min in Mandalay


A man found a rough ruby weighing 7 Tikal. At this point, there is some discrepancy in the accounts. Streeter (1892) claims that the man's wife traded the stone for some fish condiments to a man named Nga Mauk while Keely Om, does not mention such a trade. It does seem unlikely that anyone living in the Mogok area could fail to recognize such a fine rough ruby, so in this regard, Streeter may be wrong. In any case, the owner of the stone then broke it in two, giving one half to the king and sending the other for sale in Calcutta. The king discovered the fraud and, after learning where the other half had been sent, ordered its return, in the meantime also ordering the village and all its inhabitants to be burned as a lesson to others with similar ideas. 

Eventually, the second half was purchased in Calcutta for an enormous sum and returned to Burma, where it forms a perfect fit with the first piece. The two stones were cut in Burma, one forming a grand stone weighing 98 carats and named `Nga Mauk', while the other weighed 74 carats and became known as `Kallahpyan', signifying that it had returned from India (Streeter, 1892). These two pieces were undoubtedly among the treasures smuggled out of the palace when Upper Burma was annexed by the British in 1886. Also among the great Burmese rubies was a stone found during Mindon Min, rule by a man working on the road to Momeit. It weighed 400 carats in the rough and was cut into three pieces: a stone of 70 carats which was sold to England; a stone of 45 carats sold in Mandalay; and a third portion of unknown weight sold in Calcutta for 70 000 rupees (Streeter, 1892). `Gnaga Boh', or the `Dragon Lord', was the name given to a ruby found at Bawbadan weighing 44 carats in the rough and when cut 20. 

This stone was said to be the finest of its size ever reported and was given by the finder to King Tharawadis. It was aPingtoung Hill near Mogok, an area where several 'royal rubies' have originated from. The stone soon after Theebaw ascended to the throne a very fine stone weighing 100 carats in the rough was found on was presented to Theebaw by 0o-dwa-gee, at the time Woon (Governor) of the ruby-mining district.lso amongst the booty smuggled out of King Theebaw's palace in Mandalay 1886 (Streeter, 1892). Also amongst the booty smuggled out of King Theebaw's palace in Mandalay 1886 (Streeter, 1892). SPingtoung Hill near Mogok, an area where several 'royal rubies' have originated from. The stone was presented to Theebaw by 0o-dwa-gee, at the time Woon (Governor) of the ruby-mining district.