Massive 11,000-Carat Ruby Discovered – Weighing as Much as a Dog and Potentially Worth Millions!

A GIGANTIC gem that weighs as much as a dog has been unearthed in Myanmar with authorities reporting it could be worth millions.

Myanmar miners discovered the enormous rare stone, slated to be the second-largest by weight ever found in the war-stricken nation.

The rub weighs the same as a full grown Chihuahua Credit: AP President Min Aung Hlaing was seen inspecting the stone on Friday Credit: AFP

The massive 11,000-carat ruby was found in the Mogok area – renowned for its precious stones.

Weighing in at 4.8 pounds – the same weight as a full-grown, healthy Chihuahua – it has been described as “exceptionally large, rare and difficult to find,” according to the new military-backed government.

“The giant ruby has a purplish-red colour with yellowish undertones and is considered to have a high-quality colour grade,” it added in a statement on Friday.

Smaller than a similar 21,450-carat ruby found in the same region in 1996, the new gem is reportedly more valuable because of “its superior in colour, clarity and overall quality”, the government said.

The precise value of the stone has not been released.

Coup leader turned President Min Aung Hlaing was photographed inspecting the giant ruby in his office on the front page of state-run newspaper Global New Light.

Emperors, kings and warlords have long battled to control the valley of Mogok in the Mandalay region, where the unique “pigeon-blood” stones lie hidden.

The Mogok rubies are the most expensive in the world.

The highest-quality jewels can fetch multi-million-dollar prices in an industry notoriously lacking in regulation.

Myanmar has been ruled by a junta since 2021, when a military coup triggered a civil war.

Former military chief Min Aung Hlaing was sworn into office last month as the civilian president following a tightly restricted election.

Myanmar miners have unearthed an enormous rare ruby, slated to be the second-largest by weight ever found in the war-stricken nation, according to state media.

The major find comes just months after a was found in Sri Lanka.

Potentially worth nearly £300 million, the ‘Purple Star Sapphire’ weighed an incredible 3,563 carats – and was the biggest natural star sapphire ever found.

A star sapphire is a type of sapphire that gives off a star-like reflection of light.

This is called asterism, and this particular gem has six-rays asterism, giving it an especially dazzling appearance.

The eye-catching gem has been named ‘Star of Pure Land’ and could be one of the most valuable ever discovered.

“This is the largest purple star sapphire of its kind,” said gemologist Ashan Amarsinghe.