Sri Lanka Gem Safari

February 2022

Sapphires, Scenery and Seafood

Our recent trip to
Sri Lanka
February 2022

Feeling the need to escape the confinement that the CoVid Pandemic has smothered on the world, we decided to take advantage of the relaxing of travel restrictions and head to Sri Lanka.

Our first trip to Sri Lanka in 2018 was very short, a whizz visit to get a taste of what was possible with a longer trip, and so we spent a bit of time planning this trip, to focus on our particular interests, which is an authentic experience of the gem markets in the hope of sourcing small quantities of quality faceting rough and meet the people behind the gems.

It was also an opportunity for us to meet Ahmed Shareek from Crescent Gems in person, see his business operation in Sri Lanka, having got to know him in the digital world through WhatsApp and emails over the last few years. Ahmed also offers a Sri Lanka Gem Tour, so is uniquely placed as a guide, gem markets and gem trading being his every day business.

COVID TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
A brief stop in Thailand had us well-prepared for the “Travel Requirements” to gain entry to Sri Lanka. We read them, and re-read them, every few days prior to arrival, to ensure nothing had changed in the interim. Luckily we landed in Colombo and passed through immigration with an almost unbelievable ease; a huge contrast to the heavy handed approach adopted by Thailand.

Sri Lanka Gem Safari, visiting faceting business in Colombo

The afternoon of landing in Sri Lanka was spent with Ahmed a short tour of his business premises in Dehiwala, Colombo, meeting his lovely wife and family, and taking care of business. In the evening, we were treated to traditional Sri Lankan cuisine at the iconic Cinnamon Grand Hotel.

This is how we rated our trip

  • Experiencing Gem Markets 85% 85%
  • Meeting the people 95% 95%
  • Buying at source 55% 55%
  • Having fun 100% 100%
Rough sapphires and stones in Sri Lanka

Kiriella

We set off early the next morning to head to our first gem market at Kiriella. It’s a relatively small early morning market, focusing on rough, with some specimen crystals of sapphire available as well. Dozens of dealers, and small miners were there, selling their parcels of sapphire, spinel and garnets, congregating in small groups. We found the prices relatively high to what we were expecting to pay, and you had to bargain hard down from an unrealistically high price set for us obvious new faces on the block.

Meeting dealers at Ratnapurna Gem Market office

Ratna

Making short work of our rough market experience, we headed to Ratnapura where the main gem markets occur.

Although it is possible to buy on the street, Ahmed allowed us to utilise his office to go through the stocks of invited dealers which afforded the chance to assess the stones without pressure and vendors crowding around to see the action. We were offered a good selection of cut stones, of various grades, and after some hefty negotiations, at prices that were not bad. All purchases came with a guarantee of authenticity backed by a gemologist certificate, 100% refundable, and that is really a great way to buy assured that you are getting what you paid for.

 

Checking quality of stone at gem market Sri Lanka

Nivitigala

The next morning, we headed out early to the main rough market at Nivitigala. What an experience! It extends the whole main road and is swarming with traders. Rough material is the main product at Nivitigala, but there were also some really nice sapphire crystals that would have definitely appealed to specimen collectors. Of course, for the unwary and uneducated, there were also plenty of synthetic parcels offered on the off-chance that we would take the bait. You have to accept the risk of buying at a street market, and for us, the purpose of visiting the market was more for the experience and the vibe, and again the price of the good rough was just too high, or our bargaining skills needed to be honed a little more and we drove away empty handed but more than enough satisfied by the thrill of attending the market.

It was interesting to see an old faceting machine on display, and prior to settling in to do some buying, we took a short walk to the river to see the colonies of fruit bats.
Old Facet Machine at Ratnapurna Gem Market Sri Lanka
River at Ratnapurna Sri Lanka
Checking Quality at Nivitigala Rough Gem Market Sri Lanka

The Ratnapura Gem Tour with Ahmed can include a visit to the Gem Museum and a working mine, however, we had done this with our first trip to Sri Lanka, and so we elected to head south towards Galle. I think this is one of the advantages of doing a trip with Ahmed, in that you have the flexibility to structure the activities according to your interests.

GALLE

In Galle, we visited a dealer who specializes in smalls – faceted stones under a carat. We were amazed to see the quantity of stocks available, and the prices were realistic. The buying experience in Galle was much more relaxed and we were welcomed into the homes of the dealers which was a really nice way of sharing a passion for gemstones.

The quaint city of Fort Galle

We fell in love with Fort Galle, so much so, that we changed our travel arrangements to spend 2 nights in the Fort at the end of our trip. This is a city within a city, full of history, old buildings, cute little tourist shops and a plethora of restaurants. Our homestay with a humble Sri Lankan family was really enjoyable. We used the two days to visit the many jewellery and gem shops in the fort, making contacts as we went, sometimes just chatting away with the owners and admiring their treasured sapphires which, once they realised our love of stones, came out of the hidey holes.

Making new friends in Fort Galle

Len with Marjan from Aida Gems & Jewellery

Abdulla_Loyal_Gems_Fort Galle

Abdulla from Loyal Gems and Jewellery

Lady at market in Fort Galle handicrafts

Hand-made lace from this amazing lady at the market in Fort Galle

Leave some time for leisure……..

Sunset at Yala National Park Sri Lanka

Our two weeks spent in Sri Lanka was a combination of business and leisure and we enjoyed swimming with turtles at Mirissa and visiting Yala National Park and were treated to seeing a female leopard cross the road behind our jeep.

Here’s what we think

1. Colombo

Best for buying high quality gemstones

2. Ratnapura

Go there for the gem market experience

3. Galle

You can find good contacts here

Rough Sapphires and facet rough in Sri Lanka

If you are a lover of gemstones, rock hound, mineral specimen collector, Sri Lanka is a literal treasure trove, and a trip is made all the more special by the people of Sri Lanka, humble, gentle and so very keen to share their beautiful country with you.

Other Field Trips

These are some of the other gem holidays we have been on

Gem Expedition in Tanzania

Gem Expedition in Tanzania

Day 1 Landanai - We headed to the Naberera mining area to see Tourmaline.   The road to the ruby mine was unfortunately too inaccessible due to the weather.Day 2 At Lemshuku we were able to see Tsavorite rough from the small scale miners and visit some of these mines...

Rosh Pinah Geological Tour

Rosh Pinah Geological Tour

The Rosh Pinah Geo Centre is situated in the small mining town of Rosh Pinah in southern Namibia.  It was created by Exploration Geologist Gisela Hinder.  The Centre houses a beautiful collection of Rosh Pinah and extended Namibian specimens.  If you are travelling in...

Fosagams Namibia Tour 2018

Fosagams Namibia Tour 2018

Still waking up dreaming of our recent trip to Namibia...... The 2018 FOSAGAMS Namibia trip was all it promised to be. Dusty, long distances and a sense of exhilaration that only rockhounds can relate to, as we crisscrossed Namibia on a whirlwind expedition visiting...