At Left: A geologist displays an extremely large ruby crystal (1734ct) that was eventually featured in Ruby & Sapphire by Richard Hughes.

At Right: A Spirit house at a corundum mine – Mogok, Burma. Every mine in Burma has at least one spirit house where the miners can pray and give thanks for the blessings the earth has bestowed upon them. The mine above has been completely excavated but the spirit house remains untouched.