I am so fortunate to have been able to visit Mogok. The last time I visited Myanmar in 2018, Mogok was closed so I could not complete my research. I was only able to visit Mandalay and Yangon. But, after a successful three-day event to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Mogok in March 2018, the Government in Myanmar re-opened the doors to Mogok (a city in the Pyin Oo Lwin District of the Mandalay Region of Myanmar), granting access to international tourists and visitors. I ju

May’s birthstone, emerald, is synonymous with the lush, rich greens seen all around us at this lovely time of year, when Spring is at its best.  Perhaps you’re celebrating a twentieth or thirty fifth anniversary?  Emerald, the gemstone connected with these milestones, would make a wonderful token of long-lasting love. The name ‘emerald’ comes from the old French ‘esmeraud’, which in turn comes from the Greek ‘smaragdos’, meaning ‘green stone’. But gemmologists’ opinions diff

March birthstone. Now March is here to chase away dull winter greys, what better gemstone to wear than March birthstone, aquamarine? As its name – which translates as ‘seawater’ suggests, aquamarine is the fresh, bright greenish blue of a Mediterranean sea, and was once thought to be mermaids’ treasure that could keep sailors safe on the rough spring oceans. If a storm became particularly bad, sailors would try to appease the ocean deities by throwing an aquamarine overboar

You’ve probably come across jewellery that incorporates your birthstone – the gemstone associated with your star sign or month of birth.  For millennia, people have believed in the influence of the stars on the course of their lives.  They have sought the advice of astrologers, avoided certain colours or numbers, and worn specific gemstones in a bid to increase good fortune and ward off bad. But identifying your birthstone is a little more complicated than matching your star-