Miners in Myanmar have discovered an 11,000-carat ruby weighing approximately five pounds near the town of Mogok, state media reported on Friday, May 8, in what experts consider one of the most significant gemstone finds in the country’s history.
The ruby was unearthed shortly after Myanmar’s traditional New Year celebrations in April and unveiled publicly this week at the Naypyidaw office of President Min Aung Hlaing, according to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar.
The stone is now considered the second-largest ruby ever recorded in the country. The largest on record, a 21,450-carat gem discovered in 1996, surpasses the new find by weight, but gemologists regard the recently unearthed stone as more valuable due to its superior colour, high-grade transparency and highly reflective surface.
Mogok sits at the centre of Myanmar’s gem-mining industry and the surrounding region supplies an estimated 90 percent of the world’s rubies. The sector represents a critical pillar of the country’s economy.
The discovery, however, arrives against a deeply troubled backdrop. Human rights organisations have long called on international jewellers to stop purchasing Myanmar-sourced gemstones, citing the industry as a vital revenue stream for the country’s military government. Armed groups fighting for autonomy following the military’s 2021 seizure of power from a democratically elected government also derive significant income from gemstone mining in the region, the Associated Press reported.
The find reinforces Mogok’s standing as one of the world’s premier ruby sources while renewing scrutiny over the ethical implications of trading in gems tied to ongoing conflict and authoritarian governance.
