sri lanka gem location map

Sri Lanka Gem Location Map

Gems of Sri Lanka   A gemstone are one of the most attractive and desirable items in a person’s wardrobe, because it adds beauty, value in its rarity, and for its durable quality that could be enjoyed for generations. Gemstones are also considered “Stones of Fortune”  and are the naturally occurring crystalline form of a mineral. Geologically,  Sri Lanka is an extremely old country. Ninety percent of the rocks of the island are of Precambrian age, 560 million to 2,400 million years ago. The gems form in sedimentary residual gem deposits, eluvial deposits, metamorphic deposits, skarn and calcium-rich rocks. Residual deposits are mainly found in flood plains of rivers and streams. The metamorphic types of gems constitute 90% of the gem deposits in Sri Lanka. Other gems are of magmatic origin. Sri Lanka has the highest density of gem deposits compared to its landmass. Ratnapura contains the most gem deposits and derived its name from the gem industry. Ratnapura means “city of gems”. There are more than 30 popular gem varieties and many more rare collector gemstones. Some varieties also come in a range of colors and are graded or categorized according to the way they reflect light adding to the colours and shades. The blue sapphires from Sri Lanka are known as Ceylon Sapphire. Ceylon Sapphires are reportedly unique in colour, clarity and lustre compared to the blue sapphires from other countries. The Gems of Sri Lanka (The Island that seemed to be hanging like tear-drop from the southern tip of  the Indian Sub Continent, was also known as Ceylon, Taprobane, Serendib, etc..) is well known for their variety and luster from time immemorial. Some of the rarest of gem stones of exquisite beauty have won the pride of place, in the Crown jewels of Kings and Queens from time of Great Roman Emperors. Due to Sri Lanka’s gem industry, this Island was affectionately known as Ratna – Dweepa which means Gem Island reflecting its natural wealth. This why in 1922 Marco Polo wrote: “I want you to understand that the island of Ceylon is, for its size, the finest island in the world, and from its streams comes rubies, sapphires, topazes, amethyst and garnet”. Ptolemy, the second century astronomer recorded that beryl and sapphire were the mainstay of Sri Lanka’s gem industry. Records from sailors that visited the island states that they brought back “jewels of Serendib”. Serendib was the ancient name given to the island by middle – eastern and Persian traders that crossed the Indian Ocean to trade gems from Sri Lanka to the East during the fourth and fifth century.sri lanka is called the "land of the gems" in the past.and sri lankan gems are 100% pure gems too.