Of all the gemstones
that appear on the market with any regularity, it is the fine Burmese
ruby that is the rarest and most sought after, specialy the characteristic
true "pigeon blood" red colour typical of Burma material.
The first European visited Burma in the 1520s and even then, he found
that rubies were highly visible on the attire of the King and his court.
Not only are the
famous ruby mines of the Mogok Stone Tract yielding fewer and fewer
stones over five carats, but also the market has seen a diminishing
number of pieces of antique ruby jewellery and old Burmese gems appearing
for sale
Above there is an
Aigrette or Sarpech it is an ornament in the shape of an egret plume
which may be worn on a turban, hat or in the hair, and is typically
gemset or enameled, popular during the 17th and 18th centuries, and
then again in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The
favourite items of the Princes are magnificent ornaments with large
emeralds or other gems like sapphire, diamonds
and rubies.