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

June’s birthstone Pearl and Alexandrite. The second of June’s birthstones is an organic gemstone—a description that applies to gemstones produced by a living organism rather than forming in the earth. June’s birthstone: Pearl Associated with purity and beauty, pearls are a traditional gift for a bride on her wedding day. They appear in myth and folklore the world over, often (and unsurprisingly) associated with the moon. The ancient Chinese believed that pearls formed in a d