Rathna Deepa~The Land of Gems
Sri Lanka also known as ‘Rathna Deepa’ which means land of gems, remains one of the most important sources for gemstones. The Gem industry in Sri Lanka has a very long history which dates back to centuries.
Sri Lanka is a prominent locality for gemstones in the world. Historically the most important gem-bearing area is the Ratnapura district in Sabaragamuwa Province.
The gem minerals are concentrated in more-or-less horizontal levels at different depths of the alluvium.
Similar deposits are found near Elahera near Okkampitiya, and in the Tissamaharama area. Gemstone mining in Sri Lanka is mostly from secondary deposits. Sri Lanka’s commercially important coloured gemstone deposits come from weathered alluvial gravels. There are commercial mining areas around the country such as Ratnapura, Balangoda and Elahera. Sri Lanka has a true mine-to-market industry, both domestically and for exports. Its evolution over the last two decades blends the best of traditional practices with modern technologies and business models.
For hundreds of years, the gem and jewellery industry of Sri Lanka has played a vital role in the country’s cultural, social and economic development. The Sri Lankan gem and jewellery industry are currently geared to establish a world-class gem and jewellery hub. The entire industry employs approximately 600,000 persons including miners, cutters and polishers, dealers, jewellery designers, manufacturers and craftsmen, marketers and salespeople.
Sri Lanka is blessed with over 70 varieties of coloured stones out of 200 found around the world and is among the five most important gem-bearing nations of the world. Blue sapphire, ruby, yellow sapphire, alexandrite and cat’s-eye chrysoberyl are among the most important gemstones found in Sri Lanka. Also found in quantity are some garnets spinel and several varieties of quartz while a number of more unusual gemstones can also be found.
