Ceylon sapphire: Ratnapura, Elahera and where Sri Lankan stones come from

Sri Lanka's gem fields

Most Sri Lankan gems come from alluvial gravels, rather than hard-rock mines. The Ratnapura District in Sabaragamuwa Province is the best-known area, and Ratnapura itself, whose name means city of gems, is the main market town. Pelmadulla, Rakwana and Eheliyagoda are among the other mining centres in the district.

Elahera, in the Matale District about 115 km north-east of Colombo, is another major field, with gem gravels along the Amban Ganga river.

How the stones are mined

Gem-bearing gravel, called illam, lies at depths from a few metres to well over twenty. Miners dig pits and shafts, and the gravel is washed to recover stones. Most mining is small-scale and traditional.

From pit to market

Rough stones are bought by local dealers and traders, then sorted and often sent to Beruwala and Colombo for cutting, treatment, trading and export.

What to record

For Sri Lankan stones, origin is a selling point only if it can be supported. Keep the purchase record, the lab report if there is one, and the treatment status. A stone's record should show where it was bought, from whom, and when.