Leading Gem Exporters in Sri Lanka (Part 1)

• Ellawala Exports (Pvt) Ltd
  14, Carlwil Place, Colombo 03. Sri Lanka.
  Tel: +94 11 2573971 Fax: +94 11 2573098 Email: eelpvt@eureka.lk
  Contact Person: Mr. Rainier Nanayakkara
  
  
• A.M.S. Deen & Sons
  19, Macan Markar Arcade, Galle Face, Colombo 03. Sri Lanka
  Tel: +94 11 2326687 / 2574435 Fax: +94 11 2577575 Email: deensgems@eureka.lk
  Contact Person: Mr. Ajward Deen
  
  
• Gem Paradise
  421, 2/1, Galle Road, Colombo 03. Sri Lanka.
  Tel: +94 11 2591036 Fax: +94 11 2582493 Emial: mimtizan@visualnet.lk
  Contact Person: Mr. A.H.M. Imtizam
  

Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Gems

The gems of Sri Lanka are woven in to his history. The Mahavansa, the ancient chronicle of Sri Lanka too mentioned about gems and jewelry. Indeed, the lord Buddha himself is sad to have had to come to Sri Lanka from India to settle a dispute between two kings, Chulodara and Mahodara, over a throne of gems.

King Soloman is reported to have had gems brought from this island to win the heart of beautiful queens. The great traveler, Marco Polo, was said to have been so awe struck by a priceless ruby in the possession of the king of Sri Lanka that the recorded it as been "span in length, with out a flow, brilliant beyond compare".

Sri Lanka became known as Ratna Deepa (The Island of Gems). Some of the rarest precious stones in the world are found in abundances in the reach earth under our feet and the hills above us. Among the several world famous gems Sri Lanka's blue sapphire weighing 466 carats, the largest known sapphire in the world. Weighing in at 19Kg was also discovered here. Other famous gems include the "Blue Giant of the Orient", weighing nearly 500 carats and the "Bluebell of Asia", which weights in at 400 carats. The renowned Sri Lankan star sapphire is on permanent display at he museum of natural history in New York, but due to an oversight, the stone has been called the star of india.

Throughout history Sri Lanka's gems and jewelry have adorned the crown jewels of many a royal family. A 105 carats cat's eye gemstone discovered in a paddy field in Sri Lanka, gained fame among the royalty of Britain and was successively admired by Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, and Queen Elizabeth.

The process of mining for gems is begun at an auspicious time with a short religious ritual. The most common methods of mining are in pita and by tunneling. Surface gemming and dredging depends on the location and the type of deposits stones are normally found in a layer of coarse, pebbly material, which contains traces of clay and fine sand. This gravel containing gems are referred as to as "illama" and is found just below the alluvial deposits.

The rarest gem in the world alexandrite, is found in Sri Lanka.

Gem pits are of two kinds. The shallow ones are well shaped and circular, where as deep pits are rectangular. To prevent the walls of the pits from caving in scaffoldings are made and the spaces filled with leaves. The water is then pumped out of the pit. If the "illama" vein runs horizontally, tunneling has to be resorted to.

Another method of collecting "illama" is to place wooden poles across the river bed and standing on a pole with a long stick, a person drags the gravely sand towards him. This is then collected in buckets.

Either way the gravel is then washed in large circular wicker buckets by immersing them in water and rotating them. This enables the light, ordinary pebbles and sediment to escape, leaving the heavier pebbles behind. Then the basket are held against the sunlight and the sorting is carried out. Each illam brings forth a variety of stones. The principle source of Alexandrite, the rarest gem in the world is Sri Lanka it was first found in the Urals in 1830 and is named after Czar Alexander II who come of age on the day it was found. This stone shines green in natural light but turns raspberry red in artificial light. The cat's eye is another stones which is considered valuable and rare. It derives it name from fact that a silvery lines runs across its greenish gray surface, giving it a remarkable resemblance to the eye of a cat. The rarest type is the black cat's eye. Sri Lanka can host of having 17 varieties of precious and semi precious stone. The most notable are,

Blue Sapphire - A blue stone with a silvery streak, said to protect its wearer.
Alexandrite - The rarest and possibly the most beautiful of stones.
Star Ruby - Its color range from pale pink to red with sulky streak.
Yellow Sapphire - Poetically known as the "Pollen of Flowers" because of its soft yellow coloring.
Star Sapphire - A rich blue star stone with snowy streak, said to bring good luck.
Amethyst - A rich purple stone
Garnet - A deep purplish red stone, unique for its richness of color.
Moonstone - A pale blue stone with silvery light only found in Sri Lanka and said to possess the power of tranquilizing it wearer.

Private Gem Testing Laboratories in Sri Lanka

The following list is not an endorsement, it is for information purpose only.

1. Mr. Dayananda Dillimuni - FGA, D.Gem.G
   Allied Gemological Institute & Laboratory
   (Allied Teaching Center of the Gemological Association of Great Britain)
   131A, Purwarama Road, Kirulapona, Colombo 05. Sri Lanka.
   Telephone: +94 11 2871889 / 2820516
   Email: dilli2@sltnet.lk
   
   
2. Mr. Sheriff A. Rahuman (Dip.G.G.I)
   95A, Chatham Street, Colombo 01. Sri Lanka
   Telephone: +94 11 2320112 Fax: +94 11 2343283
   
   
3. Mr. E. Gamini Zoysa - Msc(mos) FGA (Lon) MIMM (lon) PD, GG(GIA)
   Mincraft Company
   4, Gothami Mawatha, Mt. Lavinia, Sri Lanka
   Telephone: +94 11 2724789 / 2726796 Fax: +94 11 2733693
   Email: mincraft@slt.lk Website: www.mincraft.com
   
   
4. Mr. Ravi Samaranayake - FGG(Germany), FGA(GB), Dip.Gem,.Geo(SL), MGA(SL)
   Ravi Gems
   Shop No.7, Level 5, Sri Lanka Gem & Jewellery Exchange, WTC, Colombo 01. Sri Lanka
   Telephone: +94 11 2391236 Fax: +94 11 5552281
   Email: gemsravi@sltnet.lk, ravigems2003@yahoo.com
   Website: www.srilankayellowpages.com/ravigems
   
   
5. Mrs. Sujatha Amarasiri - FGA(Lon), D.Gem.G(Germany), CG(SL)
   Lakshani Gem Testing Laboratory
   52A, Galle Road, Colombo 03. Sri Lanka.
   Telephone: +94 11 2337443 Fax: +94 11 2362470
   Email: nikasha@sltnet.lk
   
   
6. Mr. Hirosha Yahampath - FGA, MGA
   Gemological Education, Staff Training, Gem Tours
   112, Piliyandala Road, Maharagama, Sri Lanka
   Telephone: +94 11 2845012
   Email: hirosha@hotmail.com
   

International Leading Gem Testing Laboratories

There are a number of competent, internationally recognizes gemological loboratories. The following list is not an endorsement, it is for information purpose only.

1. Gubelin Gem Lab Ltd.
   Maihofstrasse 102, CH-6000; Lucerne-9, Switzerland.
   Telephone: +41 041 4291717
   Fax: +41 041 4291734
   
   
2. Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF)
   Falknerstrasse-9, CH-4001 Basel, Switzerland.
   Telephone: +41 061 2620640
   Fax: +41 061 2620641
   
   
3. GIA Gem Trade Laboratory
   580, Fifth Avenue, NY 10036-4794, USA
   Telephone: +1 212 2215858
   Fax: +1 212 5753095
   
   
4. GIA Gem Trade Laboratory
   5355, Armade Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008-4699, USA
   Telephone: +1 760 603 4500
   Fax: +1 760 603 1841
   
   
5. Tokyo Gem Laboratory (Thailand) co., Ltd
   987, Rama Jewellery building, 3rd Floor, Silom Road, Bangkok - 10500, Thailand.
   Telephone: 662 635 2030-2
   Fax: 662 635 2033
   
   
6. The Gem and Jewellery Institute of Thailand
   Gemmological Research and Testing Building, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phyathi Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
   Telephone: 662 218 5470-4
   Fax: 662 218 5474
   
   
7. The Gemological Association and gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain
   27, Greville Street, Saffron Hill Entrance, London ECIN 8TN, United Kingdom
   Telephone: 20 7404 3334
   Fax: 20 7404 8843
   Email: membership@gem.a.info
   Website: www.gem.a.info
   

International Asia Trade Fairs for Gems and Jewellery

1. International Jewellery Tokyo - Japan (January)
2. Bangkok Gems and Jewellery Fair - Thailand (February)
3. International Jewellery Kobe - Japan (May)
4. Hong Kong Jewellery & watch Fair and Asia Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair - Hong Kong SAR (June)
5. Jade & Gems Special Sale - Myanmar (June)
6. Koria International Jewellery & Watch Fair - Koria (July)
7. India International Jewellery Show - Mumbai, India (July)
8. Japan Jewellery Fair - Japan (September)
9. International Gem and Jewellery Exhibition - India (September)
10. Facets International Gem and Jewellry Show - Sri Lanka (September)
11. Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair - Thailand (September)
12. Hong Kong Jewellery & Watch Fair - Hong Kong SAR (September)
13. Malaysia International Jewelex - Malysia (October)
14. Mid Year Myanmar Gems, Jade & Pearl Emporium - Myanmar (October)
15. China International Jewellery Fair - Beijing, China (November)
16. Jewellery & watch Asia - Philippines (November)

International Trade Fairs for Gems and Jewelry

1. Vicenza Oro - Vicenza, Italy (January)
2. Jewellers International Showcase - Miami Beach, USA (January)
3. JA International Jewelry Show - New York, USA (January)
4. AGTA Gem Fair Tucson - Tucson, USA (February)
5. GLDA Tucson Gem Show - Tucson, USA (February)
6. Inhorgenta Europe - Munich, Germany (February)
7. BASEL - Basel, Switzerland (April)
8. International Jewelry Dubai - Dubai, UAE (May)
9. GLDA Las Vegas Gem & Jewelry Show - Las Vegas, USA (June)
10. The Strategic International Jewelry Show - Las Vegas, USA (June)
11. The JCK Show - Las Vegas, USA (June)
12. Vicenza Oro 2 - Vicenza, Italy (June)
13. J.A. International Jewelry Show - New York, USA (July)
14. International Jewellery London - London, UK (September)
15. Intergem - Idar Oberstein, Germany (October)
16. Jewellers International Showcase - Miami Beach, USA (October)
17. Jewellery Arabia - UAE (October)
18. Jewelers International Showcase - United States (October)
19. The International Jewelry - Dubai, UAE (December)