Ratnapura known since time immemorial for its famous gems

Ratnapura known since time immemorial for its famous gems is still a city where a serious person would want to go, whether to try his hand at digging into a functioning gem pit, visit a Gem Museum of which there are several or try your bargaining skills in a gem shop.

You will need a good knowledge of Sri Lankan gems, their market prices, and their feel in your fingers and under your bottom lip and most importantly the Lupe. Start off in the morning to Ratnapura and look around all the gem museums and the National Gem and Jewelry Authority.

After lunch visit a few gem pits in the vicinity of the museums, the pits are about 8 to 10 feet deep with reinforced sides and a motor is on standby to pump out excess water which seeps into the bottom.

The Gem containing section of the earth called “Illama” which is darker in color is sought in locating a pit to dig for gems. Once located this Illama is brought up, put aside away from the pit and water is diverted into a smaller knee deep pit for washing to sift the gems from the gravel.

If you really like to experience the life of a gem miner, be prepared to get your hands and legs muddy as you may have to get down to waist or knee deep water and sift the sediment they call the “Illama” which has been brought up from the pit and is being washed in a slight angular way to wash off the stones little by little.

The frying pan shaped woven basket is scrutinized time to time for rough stones and you as a visitor are allowed to take part in this.

Sometimes a stone is found and a shout of exclamation is heard and everyone is excited, but to the unwary it looks an ordinary stone. The miner and his team already see how it will look once it is cut and polished.