Exploring the Burmese Ruby: A Detailed Collector's Guide

The Geological Origins & Political History of the Burmese Ruby

The Burmese ruby is among the highest quality rubies in the world. Rubies were discovered over 2,000 years ago and are one of the rarest gemstones in today's global market. The Burmese ruby comes from Mogok Valley in Upper Myanmar formerly known as Burma. This remote area produces 90% of the rubies worldwide, it is commonly referred to as the “valley of rubies”. The history of Burmese rubies is directly tied to the complex political history of Myanmar. Until the 19th century, only the Burmese people could access the mines. At the end of the 19th century, Britain annexed upper Burma and took control of the ruby mines. Due to recent political issues, ruby trade to the United States was banned until 2016. Today, the source of rubies in Burmese mines is completely depleted. Since the 1990s, Mong Hsu has become the new main source of Burmese rubies. The rarity of a true Burmese ruby makes the precious gemstone highly desirable by collectors and enthusiasts worldwide.

Fascination of the Burmese Ruby

Rubies have been admired for thousands of years. In ancient Sanskrit, the ruby is called 'Ratnaraj' or 'King of Precious Stones'. This gemstone was worn by ancient warriors for protection, and royalty to symbolize their majesty. The ruby retained its importance and became a popular stone with European royalty frequently used in coronation creations. Many medieval Europeans wore rubies to guarantee health, wealth, wisdom, and success in love. The Burmese Ruby remains valuable today with collectors due to their rarity, distinct red color, and historical provenance as the gemstones of emperors and kings. The Burmese Ruby is especially popular with Asian collectors since red symbolizes good fortune, joy, and happiness.

Pigeon Blood Ruby

The finest Burmese rubies have the deepest red color, called “pigeon blood red”. This color is described as a purple-red or dark pink-red. This pure and intense hue comes from the levels of chromium present in the gemstone. The more chromium a ruby has, the more intense the red hue is. The term “pigeon blood” originated from Burmese folklore. According to the ancient legend, the name refers to the first two drops of blood from a killed pigeon. The color of the blood is the same as what is considered a genuine ruby red. Other legends claim the name refers to the red-color of the center of a pigeon's eye. It is important to look for unheated rubies when looking for a Burmese ruby. It is common practice to heat gems to deepen their color and enhance their brilliance, however, this lowers the value of the gem and takes away from the natural beauty. The valued and highest priced Burmese ruby is unheated and natural.

4 C’s of the Burmese Ruby

Cut - The most popular cuts for the Burmese ruby is cushion cut or oval. These are common shapes that enhance the brilliance and reduce waste when cutting the gemstone. Mixed cut is a hybrid between a brilliant cut and a step cut. This shape is also highly desirable in a Burmese ruby because the sparkle is heightened by the brilliant cut and pavilion step cut brings out the color of the ruby.

Color - Color is the most important factor when looking for a Burmese ruby. "Pigeon's Blood" rubies are considered to be the rarest and most valuable due to their deep red color, transparency and few inclusions. Pigeon blood red is described as purple-red or dark pink-red.

Clarity - The Burmese ruby stands out for exhibiting the highest clarity of all ruby types. While most rubies have some inclusions or internal flaws due to the natural formation process, a Burmese ruby will have very thin mineral inclusions overall. Often these inclusions will appear like long thin needles. These long inclusions are called “silk” in a Burmese ruby. Silk inclusions are typical and can enhance a gem's appearance adding a soft glow to the stone. We suggest looking for a Burmese ruby with VS1-VS2 clarity.

Carat - One of the most important considerations when choosing a Burmese ruby is the carat. In ruby gemstones, the carat weight is retained at the bottom of the ruby. Because of this, the gemstone will have a smaller millimeter when face up. This means that a ruby will appear smaller than a diamond of the same carat. We suggest starting with 3-carat when looking for the perfect Burmese ruby. A natural Burmese ruby above 5-carats is considered an exceptional ruby.

Burmese Ruby Price at Auction

A Burmese ruby is highly sought after at auction. A pigeon blood burmese ruby can sell higher than a similar carat weight diamond depending on the size and quality. One of the most expensive Burmese rubies sold at Sotheby's auction is the Sunrise Ruby. The Sunrise Ruby was made by Cartier and sold for 28.25 million CHF in 2015, approximately $32 million. The cushion cut Burmese ruby weighs 25.59 carats and is unheated. Another standout Burmese ruby sale was a 24.70-carat pigeon blood ruby and diamond ring which sold for 86 million HKD in 2018, approximately $11 million. The pigeon blood ruby is surrounded by 16 pear-shaped diamonds that are between 1.73-1.07 carats that are all D color and flawless to internally flawless. These record-breaking Burmese ruby sales demonstrate the fascination and value of unheated pigeon blood rubies.

Buying and Selling Burmese Rubies At Sotheby's

Sotheby's is here to assist with your Burmese ruby jewelry purchase or sale. Sotheby's often has rare and exceptional Burmese ruby jewelry available at auctions. We also have a curated selection of Burmese ruby jewelry available on Marketplace for immediate shipping. Prices start at around $20,000 for a 1.5-carat Burmese ruby rings with no indications of heating. High Jewelery Burmese ruby creations start at $100,000. Sotheby's also sells Burmese ruby jewelry from top luxury brands including Harry Winston, Tiffany, Cartier, and more. In addition to the Burmese ruby jewelry listed on marketplace or available at auction, Sotheby's can also source a Burmese ruby for a ring or other jewelry from its global supplier network.

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