Mogok (Ruby land)

Mogok is just a famous town as the ruby-land of Myanmar either in Myanmar or the international community. It is 128 miles from Mandalay. The ruby-land is in the centre of four mountains namely 5,955 feet high Myomin taung in the east, 7,544 feet high Taungme taung in the north-east, 5, 277 feet high Daw Nan Keeh taung and 5, 354 feet high Pingu taung in the west. Hence geography of Mogoke looks like an oven. There are green and lush forests around the town as there is wet weather.

Mogok is a town where mixed national races of Shan, Palaung and Lisu are mainly residing. Gems mining and selling is their living while some other local people work on farms. It is said that the land of Mogoke existed about 1-thousand million years ago where human beings had been living in pre-historic era. Geologists estimate that the rock layer of Mogoke is one of the most natural rock layers of Myanmar.

Mogoke attracts public attention for its precious gems-rubies, sapphires and balas rubies-as well as its significant natural panoramic view. Mogoke was once abundance in precious stones. It is said that gems could be discovered if someone merely pulls off a turf of grass. Today gems are extracted through traditional methods of digging by hand and mining by machinery equipment in respective gem tracts.

In the gems industry of Mogok, Hta Pwe or gem markets play vital role in selling and buying the stones. Gems cutting are also a cottage industry in Mogoke.

Mogok is well-known for its rubies so it is called the ruby-land but it produces not only rubies but also other precious gems. Gems mining and sale of the precious stones are interesting in Mogok. In the time of ancient Myanmar monarchs, offices relating to the gems industry-mining and sale of the gems-were opened in the royal city. The precious stones were sold under supervision of appraisers.

During the reign of King Mindon in 1852, the King directly dealt with the foreigners in sale of the gems. Since then Mogok became a World famous town for its quality rubies.
Private gem traders open sale shops in Mogoke but there are also venues called "Hta Pwe" for sale of the gems. The places are called "Hta Pwe" in reference to keeping gem packets in brass trays known as "Hta".
Gem dealers in Mogok usually take great care of "Pana" the light in selling the stones. They separate the light of the Sun "soft" "strong" and "normal". The gem dealings are carried out only at the time the Sun light is normal. Selling and buying of the gems is done twice a day-once in the morning and another one in the evening at the "Hta market" where rubies, sapphire, balas rubies and other multi-coloured stones are sold after paying tax on their reasonable prices. There are various types of dealers at the gem markets in Mogok. Some of them buy only high price stones of their own selection while some of them buy only the gems they specialized, and some dealers who are experts in all kinds of valuable stones.
In Mogok gem markets there are very lovely and noble traditions, which nobody had enforced them as conditions. They are- nobody sells imitated gems at the Mogok market: the valuable stones are purchased at the bargaining prices whether the prices are high or low: if a dealer is bargaining the price, another one will not overtake him to bargain, and apart from these lovely customs, gem dealings are also done under set conditions.