Myanmar’s gem-mining hub of Mogok has yielded a rare new prize for an industry that operates amid prolonged fighting. State media reported that miners found an 11,000-carat ruby near the town, in the upper Mandalay region, and later said the stone was reviewed by the country’s top leadership.

The ruby’s size was described as notable even by Myanmar’s standards for gem finds. State media said the stone measures 11,000 carats, and described it in weights of 2.2 kilograms (4.8 pounds). The report also tied the discovery to the country’s recent wartime conditions, saying it came from Mogok, a core area of the lucrative ruby trade that has faced intense fighting as Myanmar’s civil war has broadened.

According to Global New Light of Myanmar, the rough ruby was discovered in mid-April, soon after the traditional New Year festival. The state report placed the find within Myanmar’s seasonal calendar and within the recent timeline of battles in gemstone-producing zones, which have periodically changed hands among armed groups and the military.

The state media account described not only the gem’s weight, but also its appearance and quality. It said the stone has a purplish-red hue with yellowish undertones, and described it as having a high-quality color grade, moderate transparency and a highly reflective surface.

While the discovery was framed as an exceptional stone, the report also highlighted the comparison point Myanmar uses for extraordinary ruby finds. It said the new ruby weighs about half as much as a 21,450-carat stone found in 1996, while adding that the new discovery is considered more valuable due to its superior color and quality.

Myanmar produces as much as 90% of the world’s rubies, with Mogok and Mong Hsu cited as key mining areas. The industry provides major revenue, through both legitimate gemstone trade and smuggling, and has drawn criticism from human rights advocates, including the Britain-based research and lobbying group Global Witness, which has urged jewelers to stop buying gems sourced from Myanmar.

The stone’s examination at the top of the government came as Myanmar’s political situation remains contested. The report said a new, ostensibly civilian government was installed this year, but described elections this year as a sham, and said the vote returned President Min Aung Hlaing, the army chief who led the most recent military takeover in 2021. It said he and his Cabinet examined the giant ruby at his office in Naypyitaw.

The report also pointed to how gemstone mining intersects with armed groups in the wider conflict. It said gemstone mining can fund ethnic armed groups fighting for autonomy, a factor it said has helped fuel decades of internal conflict, and it described continued volatility around security in mining regions.

Mogok has repeatedly been contested in the civil war. The report said Mogok was captured in July 2024 by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, a guerrilla force representing the Palaung ethnic minority, and that the TNLA took over and operated the mines. It added that control was later transferred back to Myanmar’s army as part of a China-mediated ceasefire agreement concluded late last year.