Sri Lankan Gems Stones

Sri Lanka is renowned for its finest gems from very ancient times. The history of gems of Sri Lanka can be traced back some 3,000 years or so. They are part of many legends, folk lore and literacy works. Early travelers from Europe, Arabia, and Asia have much written about Sri Lankan gems and their adornments of many a crown, Sceptre and Throne. The gems are the price possessions of royalty and the rich and the famous through the ages right up to this day. Sri Lankan gems have been pre-eminent internationally and the source books of history record this historical importance. Gems are deeply embedded in the traditional beliefs and the religious life of the majority of Sri Lankans. Priceless gems are among the treasures kept in the relic chambers of the great Buddhist Stupas in the island. During the 16th century, Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama said of Sri Lanka: "Ceylon has all the fine cinnamon of the Indies and the best sapphires." The gem-trading center for Sri Lanka is the town of Ratnapura which is in Singhalese for "gem town," located 100 kilometers southeast of the capital city of Colombo. Sri Lanka has earned its namesake as the 'Gem Island' or 'Island of Gems' (Ratna Dweepa), with its abundance of corundum gems, chrysoberyl and alexandrite, garnet, moonstone, peridot, spinel, topaz, tourmaline, and zircon. Sri Lanka is perhaps best known for its fine Sapphire. Sapphire from Sri Lanka occurs in a wide range of hues from orange-yellow (Padparadscha) to cornflower-blue ("Ceylon blue"), green, orange, pink, purple, yellow (pushparaga) and white sapphire. Sri Lanka's white "Geuda sapphire" is a semi-opaque milk-white stone that can be heated to a deep blue. Sri Lanka is known for its Ceylon Blue, and Padparadscha (aka padmaraga) sapphire, named after the island's lotus flower, and its unique soft pastel orange-pink color. The name 'Padparadscha' comes from the Sanskrit or Singhalese "padma raga" meaning 'lotus blossom'. Yellow sapphire from Sri Lanka is called "pushparaga" in Singhalese ("pukhraj" in Hindi), and can be comparable in value to the finest Mogok sapphire. Pushparaga, also known as "Oriental topaz" or "hyacinth" has a golden or honey yellow color with brownish secondary hues. The Blue Sapphire is king of Sri Lankan gems. The 400 carat Blue Sapphire called “Blue Belle”, which adorns the British Crown, is from Sri Lanka. The beautiful star sapphire misnamed the “Star of India” displayed at a New York’s Museum of Natural History. The world jewelry market demands Blue Sapphires of 5-15 carats. Sri Lanka can supply these in very large quantities. Sri Lanka's Star Sapphires is the star beauty among Earth's precious stones. The radiant snowy streaks that gleam in her azure heart are perhaps the solidified version of a colorful dream the world has had long ago of the glory of the universe. Moonstone the only gem that is found in situ in Sri Lanka displays a milky bluish sheen similar to that of the moon beams, and hence the name moonstone. Trough some quirk of nature, moonstones are found only in a solitary quarter acre block of land in the village of Meetiyagoda to the South of Sri Lanka. The world's moonstone market is dominated by Sri Lanka. Out of about 200 minerals that are classified as gemstones, around 75 varieties are found in Sri Lanka, making this small island one of the most important geographic locations in the world of gemstones. Its gemstones, however, seem to occur in endless supply. Known as the “Jewel Box of the Indian Ocean,” Sri Lanka, like possibly no other locality on earth, has yielded precious stones and fine gems in a great profusion of gem species and varieties.