Historically, most red spinel comes from four remote places (Pardieu, 2008). Photo by Vincent Pardieu, courtesy of Gübelin Gem Lab. The crystals in the background are from the author’s collection. The faceted stone, a fine red spinel weighing more than 5 ct, was purchased in the 1940s by Dr. Classic rough and faceted red spinels from Mogok. (Consider the longstanding dispute in the gem trade over the origin-related term “Paraíba” to describe exceptionally vivid tourmaline, not only from Brazil, but also Mozambique and Nigeria.) Besides, “Jedi” spinel was fun and had a nice sound.įigure 6. Even if the rumors were true, calling them “Namya” spinel might prove controversial. The so-called Namya spinels were incredibly rare and in very high demand.ĭespite my efforts, I was unable to find any evidence that Mogok had produced any spinel as bright as those from Namya (figures 5 and 6). Was it just a rumor? Finding out proved to be difficult. These stones were usually sold as Namya spinels to get better prices. Yet I was intrigued when some Burmese friends told me several times between 20 that such specimens were reportedly found from time to time around Mogok. Like many, I believed for years that such “Jedi” spinels could only be found at Namya. Note the tumbled aspect typical of spinel from secondary deposits such as Namya. Hai An Nguyen Bui looks into a bright neon red spinel crystal, reportedly from Namya, while visiting Yangon in December 2006.
At the time, the Hollywood blockbuster Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones was in theaters, and my motto became: “The Force is strong in spinel, but beware the dark side of the Force.” Thus, we took to calling these glowing hot pink gems “Jedi” spinels, as they were untouched by the “dark side” (figure 4).įigure 4. I learned that the typical downfall of an otherwise fine spinel was a dark tone, or “dark side,” within the gem. It was very different from my experience as a gemology student, as we were not focusing on gem identification but on quality and potential value. We spent days together in Myanmar looking at gems. Henry Ho, a gem merchant from Bangkok and a spinel connoisseur, hired me with a simple mission: to find a bright 10 ct spinel from Namya. In the spring of 2002, I landed my first job in the gem trade thanks to them. Over time, I started to have the feeling that these incredible little gems were somewhat lucky for me. Photo by an anonymous Burmese soldier, courtesy of the author. As the deposit was located in a jungle-covered swamp, expedition leaders Hemi Englisher and Ted Themelis traveled by elephant while the author and the native guides walked in the swamp. Right: On the way to the Namya ruby and spinel mining area in 2001, the author enjoys his very first field expedition. Left: U Kyaw Thaung, the author, and Hemi Englisher in Yangon in February 2001, the day Hemi introduced the author to his first Namya spinels. Comprehensive CAD/CAM For Jewelry Certificateįigure 3.
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