Thai Gem Lab AIGS Plans Trip to Mogok Ruby Mining Area

the AIGS noted, for professional buyers. Rather, it will provide a chance to see local dealers buying and selling gems in the markets and to study how they interact with each other.

Highlights will include a scenic drive from Mandalay to Mogok; visits to Yadanar Mall or the Jade Market in Mandalay; stops at Pan Chan, Mini Mingalar and Pan Ma gem markets; gem cutting at Mogok; a trip to Ruby Land Viewpoint, offering long range views of the Mogok area; and local restaurant cuisine.

“The visits will be mainly to cultural attractions such as gem markets, as well as mining areas, but how much activity we'll see will depend on the situation of the mines in October,” said Kennedy Ho, chairman of Bangkok-based AIGS.

Accommodation will be in a three-star hotel. The trip will include three meals a day, consisting mainly of locally cooked noodles, and clean drinking water will be provided throughout the trip.

The trip also includes a permit (visa) to visit Mogok, transportation from Bangkok to Mandalay and back again, local transport and market entry fees.

Not included is an entry visa to Myanmar, alcoholic beverages, travel insurance or emergency evacuation.

Seats are limited and bookings will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Preference will be given to ICA Congress attendees and AIGS alumni.

The ICA’s 19th Congress event is scheduled for Oct. 12 to 15 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok, where industry experts will share their knowledge and insights with members of the trade.

Inquiries about the AIGS’s trip can be directed to info@aigslaboratory.com.

The five-day trip will run from Oct. 17 to 21, coinciding with the International Colored Gemstone Association’s Congress event.

The trip, which the AIGS has organized several times before, is open to those who want to learn more about the remote mining origin of some of the world’s top rubies.

The trip is not designed though, the AIGS noted, for professional buyers. Rather, it will provide a chance to see local dealers buying and selling gems in the markets and to study how they interact with each other.

Highlights will include a scenic drive from Mandalay to Mogok; visits to Yadanar Mall or the Jade Market in Mandalay; stops at Pan Chan, Mini Mingalar and Pan Ma gem markets; gem cutting at Mogok; a trip to Ruby Land Viewpoint, offering long range views of the Mogok area; and local restaurant cuisine.

“The visits will be mainly to cultural attractions such as gem markets, as well as mining areas, but how much activity we'll see will depend on the situation of the mines in October,” said Kennedy Ho, chairman of Bangkok-based AIGS.

Accommodation will be in a three-star hotel. The trip will include three meals a day, consisting mainly of locally cooked noodles, and clean drinking water will be provided throughout the trip.

The trip also includes a permit (visa) to visit Mogok, transportation from Bangkok to Mandalay and back again, local transport and market entry fees.

Not included is an entry visa to Myanmar, alcoholic beverages, travel insurance or emergency evacuation.

Seats are limited and bookings will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Preference will be given to ICA Congress attendees and AIGS alumni.

The ICA’s 19th Congress event is scheduled for Oct. 12 to 15 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok, where industry experts will share their knowledge and insights with members of the trade.

Inquiries about the AIGS’s trip can be directed to info@aigslaboratory.com.