When I was working as a tour leader in 1998, I visited Myanmar and found a way to visit a sapphire mine close to Mogok. On the boat back from Mandalay to Yangon I realized that gemmology was the connection with everything I liked: history, geography, sciences, art, etc.. Then I found in Yangon a book called “Ruby & Sapphire” by Richard Hughes. I bought it and became fascinated.   

I first studied gemmology at the GIA in Yangon, Myanmar and then at GIA in Bangkok, Thailand. During my studies, I was helping Ted Themelis with his project to write a book about Mogok. He took me to the field as his assistant to visit the newly discovered spinel and ruby mines near Namya and the jade mines near Hpakant in the Kachin state of northern Myanmar. Then few months later he took me to visit Mogok. I was then in charge of collecting samples, taking photos and collecting GPS data.

There are so many and of different type. Of course I will never forget my very first visit to Namya, Hpakant and Mogok. But the fascinating thing with gem producing areas is that they are often located in incredible places with deep and unique cultures. So I will also never forget my first visits to gem deposits in different parts of Africa, in Sri Lanka, Pakistan or Afghanistan or my very first visit to emeralds mines in Colombia or Brazil… and of course it was an amazing experience to visit the ruby mining area in Greenland. On my visit Namya, my friends had to travel through a swamp on the back of an elephant, to save money I went on foot. That was a challenge I will never forget. On my first attempt to visit a ruby deposit in Northern Mozambique I ended up getting an AK-47 pointed at my face and was detained for 3 days in the bush by police and immigration. I was also lucky to witness the discovery of fine gemstones at the mines: One evening while witnessing the opening of a jig in Ilakaka, one of my assistant found in front of my eyes a 20 carats blue sapphire that I saw emerging from the mud into the evening light. That was incredible.

Not really, I just love bright gems and if they are bright and red, that’s even better. I also have a special attraction for fine cabochons. I love star or cat’s eye stones. Difficult to beat a top quality star ruby or star sapphire combining fine red or blue with a 6 rays star…

You should learn how to cut… or you should study mineralogy. Then, you will know what to do with that rough stone (either cut it or find out if it is interesting as a mineral specimen).

If it is beautiful then it is always special… Nobody need a PhD to appreciate beauty.

Yes, it is already available to buy online on AIGS website and I’m currently looking at some options to make it available in Paris, Copenhagen, London and the US.