Burma, now known as Myanmar, is home to the mythic ‘Mogok Stone Tract’: home to some of the most prized gem deposits on the face of the Earth. The legendary "Mogok Stone Tract”, situated about 200km north of Mandalay, is a mountainous valley surrounded by high summits in the North of Myanmar. The “Stone Tract”, enveloping the city of Mogok, is above all famous for its corundum derivative gemstones ruby and sapphire. Also located in the tract are the Pyaung Gaung mines, home to the world’s premium source of quality Peridot. The reputation of the famed gem-laden ‘Mogok Stone Tract’ helps to explain why England, under the reigns of Queen Victoria, invaded and annexed Upper Burma in 1885 after learning that a French mining company was to begin mining there. In fact, the gemstone mines of Burma have been legendary since 1500 A.D., when mining first started.