Gemming in Sri Lanka

by Mahil Wijesinghe

Throughout history, Sri Lanka has been known as a land of gems. Ratnapura, the City of Gems is the most important gem bearing region of our land. When you travel between Avissawella and Pelmadulla on route A4 you can hardly miss the gem pits excavated in the middle of paddyfields just off the road.

Most Sri Lankan gems are mined from pits. A unique feature is that a variety of different gems may be found within the same pit.

For centuries, nature has washed minerals from their original mountain locations to the lowland and valleys. This precious cargo of gems have been deposited in coarse water-borne gravel called illum which ancient streams buried beneath a layer of alluvial clay.

Cadjan thatched roof for a gem pit to avoid the scorching sun.	Men at work in the gem pit washing illum to find the gems	Craftsmen in Ratnapura to date, use the traditional methods to cut and polish gems.

To reach the gem bearing illum, workers must dig through the surface alluvial. The pit ranging in depth from a few feet to 30 or more, is excavated and its walls supported by a framework of stout logs or planks arranged in crisscross fashion.

Long poles, pivoted on scaffolding act as windlasses to hoist the gravel out of the pit. The illum is then placed in basket like sieves with a rotary motion, so that the clay and lighter material are washed away. The remaining soil has to be hand-picked.

Gemming is a co-operative enterprise in Sri Lanka, not individualistic. Each participant gets an appropriate share of any gems sold and of course there is the gemmer, the man who recognises which pebbles are true gems.

The gemmer takes the prizes of the pit to a dealer, with whom he haggles over an acceptable price.

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