Of all the gemstones that appear on the market with any regularity, it is the fine Burmese ruby that is the rarest and most sought after. The first European visited Burma in the 1520s and even then, he found that rubies were highly visible on the attire of the King and his court.

Not only are the famous ruby mines of the Mogok Stone Tract yielding fewer and fewer stones over five carats, but also the market has seen a diminishing number of pieces of antique ruby jewellery and old Burmese gems appearing for sale.

The 9.35 carat Burmese ruby offered here for sale exhibits the characteristic true "pigeon blood" red colour typical of Burma material. Being the ideal cut, shape and size, it also exhibits a strong fluorescence which has the effect of making the stone 'come alive' and appear internally illuminated. Very rarely do we see natural rubies exceeding five carats at auction and to have an unheated stone weighing close to ten carats with near perfect crystallisation is in today's market - the dream of every gem-stone connoisseur.