Other Gemstones in Sri Lanka

Alexandrite is an expensive variety of chrysoberyl that changes color from green in daylight to red in candlelight because of the chromium it contains as an impurity. Beryl is the generic name for the gemstones whose composition is beryllium aluminium silicate. Beryl that contains sodium, lithium and caesium are known as Aquamarine. Aquamarine has pale blue color and generally retailed in emerald cut shapes. Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye shows a band of light across its face as it is rotated. The best stones are rich honey-brown to apple green in colors and a strong and sharp band. Garnet refers to a group of silicate minerals. Garnet has colors from deep red to orange and purple red colors. Jade is another popular gemstone, but not very expensive. Jade comes in white to dark grey, yellowish, pink or lilac, and lavender colors and semi transparent to translucent. Moonstones or Ceylon Opal is one of the unique gemstone that only found in Sri Lanka. It is found in milky colors and always cut as cabochon.

Peridot is a yellowish green color stone, easily differentiated from the pure green of emerald. It is mined in Myanmar and China. Quartz is another very cheap gemstone present in plenty all over the world. Quartz are just colorless or shades of yellow and rose color sand found in large sizes. Amethyst is often found in quartz geodes. It is variety of quartz and the presence of iron impurity gives it a color that ranges from pale lilac to deep purple. Spinel, once known as Balas Ruby, is a variety that has slight difference from ruby or sapphires. In fact many of the renowned rubies, such as the Black Prince Ruby and the Timur Ruby of the British crown jewels are not rubies, but red spinels. Spinels are found in many colors from varieties of red to blue.

Topaz is somewhat middle prized gemstone that found in colorless (white topz), blue, and yellow colors. Tourmaline is a somewhat fragile stone that comes in many colors. Deposits of high quality are from Sri Lanka. Zircon belongs to the silicate family. It could be colorless, yellow, orange, red, blue, brown or green. It is found in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam.