Mogok is not the only active ruby mining area in
Burma. Stones from the Mong
Hsu deposit, is located in Myanmar's Shan State, northeast of
Taunggyi,
first began appearing in Bangkok in mid 1992.
Since that time they have completely
dominatedthe world's
ruby
trade in sizes of less than 3 cts.
Indeed, 99% of all the rubies traded today in Chanthaburi (Thailand) are from Mong Hsu.In
terms of quality, Mong Hsu rubies cannot compete
with Mogok stones.Before heat treatment,the Mong
Hsu ruby is certainly an "ugly stone".
There are
two major problems with those stones:
The first is dense silk
clouds and
a strong purplish color, making most stones look
like low-grade. Ordinary heat-treatment removes the blue, as
well as removing silk, making the final product
a rich, clear red.
Most Mong Hsu stones are heavily fractured.Some specialists have masked the cracking by
healing the cracks with a flux of barax...
on
internet.
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