Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of mining Myanmar’s famous Mogok ruby. My father is a gem trader and I will spend a lot of time watching him cut andLV Logo Shirt – Designer Inspired Shirt – Unisex T Shirt Hoodie Sweatshirt Fashion T Shirt – Gifts For Her Gifts For Him Couples Shirt  polish rough stones until they sparkle. However, despite many nagging me, he always refused to teach me the gem business.
“Trading in Gemstones is a dangerous profession,” he warned. “Once you know their Love Is Not Cancelled Long Sleeve T-Shirt  secrets, you’ll never get rid of them.”
So when I became an adult and became a journalist, I got the chance to visit the mysterious mines in the valley north of Mandalay, I plunged into it. But I’ve come to realize that knowing the secrets of the L is for Literacy Coach Leopard Buffalo Plaid Apple Gift Sweatshirt  ruby ​​mines that produce more than 80% of the world’s rubies is challenging.

Myanmar’s rubies
(AFP / Ye Aung Thu)
“Don’t allow strangers” were red warning signs next to the narrow door. Interrupting us, a gI’m A Veteran Like My Father Before Me Dogtag American Flag Shirt  uard looked at us with narrowed eyes and ignored our pleading to enter.
This is the third time of the day that we have been denied entry. Our team – me, a photography and video reporter – spent many hours driving down the winding roads and valleys, trying to interview actual miners about what they did, but none of them. what is the result

Ruby mining in Myanmar
(AFP / Ye Aung Thu)
Myanmar rubies are famous for their unique color red “pigeon-blood ruby” and can be auctioned My Birthstone Is A Ball Baseball Ruby Colors limited Shirt, up to millions. The Burmese believe that Ruby can protect you from misfortune and disease.

Ruby in Myanmar
(AFP / Ye Aung Thu)
But for decades this misty valley was closed down by the Myanmar military government. They mine a huge treasure of gems so that the army generals maintain their power and enrich their friends. The US government has banned Official Cats And Tats Tattoo Vintage limited Shirt the import of rubies from Myanmar because it is seen as a corrupt industry and in an attempt to block the cash flow to funds that nurture an authoritarian military government.

That has been slowly changing since democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi took power last year. Washington has repealed sanctions on American buyers who are coveting Burmese rubies. Foreigners can visit the town of Mogok – with official permission – and the government has restricted mining permits in an attempt to enforce higher environmental standards.

the town of Mogok
(AFP / Ye Aung Thu)
I visited Mogok for the first time in 2010 to write about a faction of the National Democratic Party Suu Kyi that had split from the rest of the group to participate in Official Cornhole Hole Patrol Vintage new Shirt the election. that year. The polls, for the first time in 20 years, are seen by many as a way to consolidate the power of the military government.

 

Going back to town then became a very different place. Visitors rarely venture into valleys and the small markets in the center are empty. A few street vendors looked at me with suspicion, I did not dare to take a camera to take pictures.
But back at the end of last year, I saw an atmosphere of optimism. Crowds crowded around dusty streets, a handful of Western tourists mingled with Burma, Thailand and Chinese shoppers as they examined carefully arranged sold gems on a small table. covered with cloth.

ruby market in Myanmar
(AFP / Ye Aung Thu)
Behind tables full of gems are women dressed in thick coats and hats fighting the cold. They eagerly traded on the pile of uncut rubies, sapphires and Official Hockey Dinosaur Saurus Vintage 2020 Shirt amber. Many expressed hope that the end of US sanctions would have an influx of wealthy Americans buying and changing their fortunes forever.
myanmar-rubies-018
Trading in gems, November, 2016. (AFP / Ye Aung Thu)
The stones offered for sale were found by locals working in smaller mines, or spending the day sifting through the quarry by hand. For generations, these rubiese re mined only in the Mogok mine, until the government allowed private companies to participate in the 1990s. Many people today use heavy machinery and even drugs. Explode to search for gem resources deeper in the ground.

For the locals, all their hopes and dreams can rest on a single stone. Most miners spend their entire lives digging, transporting rocks and sifting through the mud for a few dollars a day in the hope they will find the gems that change their lives. In the end, though, the hope ran out.
Locals believe that the myriad of gems hidden in Mogok’s rich gem soil – sapphire, spinel, topaz and many others – are a gift from God. Your luck is due to your karma. You will therefore only find a valuable stone if you pray for souls and live a good and holy life. If not, you will never be able to find a stone no matter how hard you work.

Ruby in Myanmar