Explore the Gemstone Industry in Ratnapura

It usually operates from 6.30 am to 9.30 am every day, these are peak hours but the market continues until noon. You can mostly see sapphires and spinal in rough form in this market. Most of the mining people bring their stones to this market.

are also cut and polished Sapphires and a wide variety of rough and cut-colored gemstones. The stones that have made the region world-famous are various Spinels, Aquamarines, Tourmalines, Topaz, Garnets, Amethyst, Cat’s eyes, Alexandrite, Zircons and Moonstones.

It is located in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka and it was opened on 13 May 1988. The museum building is called “Ehelepola Walauwa”, as it once belonged to Ehelepola Nilame, a courtier of the Kingdom of Kandy. The museum includes exhibits on prehistoric archaeological inventions, natural heritage, geological, anthropological, zoological artifacts and models relating to the Sabaragamuwa Province.

view traditional cutting operations for high-quality sapphires and other gemstones such as cat’s-eye chrysoberyl. This method is still preferred by Sri Lanka cutters, especially for preforming. The traditional method of gemstone faceting done by a manual instrument called ‘Hanaporuwa’ also known as the “Pattale” by natives . Hanaporuwa (Ceylon Bow Cutter) was the main instrument of gemstone faceting in Sri Lanka until the early 1970’s.