Burma (Myanmar)… When it comes to localities known for the production of truly fine gemstones, few rival this region. It is after all, well renowned for its breathtaking and exquisite rubies, sapphires and peridot, among many others. While Burma is a beautiful country, rich in culture and natural resources, it has never been rich in economic or political stability. It has been ruled by a military dictatorship since 1962. The United States over recent years has levied and renewed embargoes against Burma, banning any product or material (including gemstones) originating from there. It is however still legal to possess gems obtained from Burma prior to the embargo, and of course it can be easily circumvented if you buy the stones from them indirectly (buy from a Thai dealer… or something like that).
But let’s focus now on an aspect of the gem trade that has thousands of years of history… the jade trade. Burma is the key player in a material known as jadeite. Jade is not actually a single mineral form, but a name given to gem varieties of both nephrite and jadeite. Jadeite is the more highly prized because of its rich translucent emerald green color. Many people are simply not aware of how valuable truly fine jadeite actually is, as they may only be familiar with the carved nephrite variety common in Chinese carvings; or worse yet “B-jade” grade varieties which are dyed to achieve their color. The other reason most are unaware of fine jadeite is that they simply have never encountered it, and probably will not ever encounter it.
In Burma, jadeite is found in both rivers and in mountain regions, as well as in situ deposits. In all but in situ deposits, jadeite occurs as boulders covered with a “thick skin”. “River jade” has an advantage in that the boulders are weathered and often the outside of the boulders are worn, exposing glimpses into the center of the stone and the color it contains. Jadeite recovered from mountain areas lacks the weathering necessary to erode the thick skin of jadeite boulders, so most often, no glimpses into the material are possible without cutting into the stone. In Burma, the jadeite is gathered (quite a painstaking process), and is then brought to trading centers in major districts for auctioning and open sale. Mandalay represents the largest market for jadeite, among other things… “Burma’s largest jade market is in south Mandalay, a city that is said to operate on the three “lines” – white (heroin), red (ruby), and green (jade)” (Cummings and Wheeler, 1996). Most jadeite is sold and resold several times before it is ever touched by a saw, and most of the material being sold is unknown in quality. Once cut open a boulder could contain a fortune in quality jadeite, or it could be worthless. Many dealers play this high risk game of spinning the jade wheel. Fortunes have been made and lost in a single small boulder.
Fine jadeite has a consistent deep emerald green color. Most fine material is highly translucent with some approaching transparency. In November 1999 a bangle bracelet made of Burmese jadeite (50mm inner diameter) sold for over $2.5 Million. The highest price ever paid for jadeite was for a strand of twenty seven (27) 15mm beads. The strand known as the “Doubly Fortunate” commanded $9.3 Million in 1997.
References:
Cummings J., Wheeler T. (1996) Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit: Myanmar (Burma), 6th. ed. Lonely Planet, Hawthorn, Australia, 393 pp.
Gems & Gemology, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 2–26.
Lot of rough Burmese jadeite, note the reserve auction price in Euros.
