This handout photo taken and released on May 7, 2026 by Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) shows Myanmar president Min Aung Hlaing (R) holding an 11,000-carat ruby in Naypyidaw, after it was found at a gem tract in Mogok in Mandalay Region. (Photo by Handout / Myanmar Radio and Television / AFP) /
Yangon, Myanmar: Myanmar said Friday it had discovered a massive 11,000-carat ruby, one of the largest ever found in the country renowned for its precious gemstones.
Unearthed in the Mogok area, the ruby was "exceptionally large, rare, and difficult to find," the new military-backed government said in a statement.
"The giant ruby has a purplish-red colour with yellowish undertones and is considered to have a high-quality colour grade," it added.
While smaller than a similar 21,450-carat ruby found in the same area in 1996, the recently discovered stone is more valuable "due to its superior colour, clarity, and overall quality," the government said without giving a precise value.
Emperors, kings and warlords have long fought over the valley of Mogok in Mandalay region, where the unique "pigeon-blood" stones lie hidden.
The Mogok rubies are the most expensive in the world, with the highest-quality jewels fetching multi-million-dollar prices in an industry notoriously bereft of regulation.
