By Cynthia Unninayar
When we see the sparkle of a beautiful sapphire or other gemstone in a piece of jewellery, the thought of where it came from doesn’t usually enter our minds. A recent tour of gemstone mines in Sri Lanka following International Colored Gemstone Association’s (ICA’s) 2015 Congress, however, gives new meaning to what’s behind the term ‘mine to market.’
Sri Lanka stats
Oval in shape, the island of Sri Lanka is located to the east of the southernmost point of India, and measures 402 km in length and 224 km in width. Geologically, it is made up of pre-Cambrian metamorphic rock and is divided into three major areas: Highland, Vijayan, and Southwest. Most of the country’s gem fields are in the Highland series, a wide belt running from the bottom left of the island through its centre to the northeast, where alluvial gravels have been deposited over millions of years.
Mining is carried out by individuals who obtain government licences for themselves or who work for licence holders. A miner’s workday is long and hard, with no guarantee of success. In some cases, they are paid only a few dollars a day, while others share in the profits when the stones are sold.
According to Sri Lanka’s National Gem and Jewellery Authority, the country has about 6000 active mines, with 40,000 men working underground daily. By law, all mining is artisanal. Although mechanized mining is prohibited, a few mines still have permits predating the current law, allowing them to continue operations until these licences expire. The law also requires licence holders to put the land back to its original state when mining is stopped; monetary deposits are held until the lands are returned to normal.
Gems galore
After a day of travel on small roads that passed beautiful scenery, as well as experiencing a few cultural attractions, we reached the alluvial gem fields in the Elahera region of central Sri Lanka. This area is estimated to produce up to 35 per cent of Sri Lankan gemstone exports. Typical of residual types of gem beds, these deposits occur mainly along the Kalu Ganga and Abanganga river systems, and include blue sapphire, ruby, chrysoberyl, garnet, spinel, tourmaline, zircon, and brownish to whitish corundum.
Mining methods have not changed in centuries. To find a deposit, miners drive a long pole into the ground to determine the depth of the gem gravel layer. Some mines are only a few metres deep, while others can go down 30 m or more. In this case, a shaft is constructed and reinforced with planks. Water seepage is often a problem and must be continually pumped or bailed out. Once the gem-bearing material is brought to the surface, it is washed in shallow baskets to sort out the gems.
After a few days, we travelled south to Ratnapura, the gemstone centre of Sri Lanka. Here, we were met by ICA director, Gamini Zoysa, and Altaf Iqbal, the association’s ambassador to Sri Lanka, who showed us around the area. Meaning ‘City of Gems’ in Sinhalese, Ratnapura is the nation’s main source of gemstones, including ruby, cat’s eye, and sapphire, the latter of which occurs in all hues of blue, as well as yellow, violet, pink, green, and the pink-orange padparadscha. The town’s population has exploded over the years as a result of mining and the ensuing cutting and trading activities.
We visited a number of deep and shallow mines that dot the countryside before joining local miners at the Kalu Ganga River. Flowing from the central hills through Ratnapura, this river is thought to have carried most of the gems from various parts of the island and deposited them on the flood plains. A few members of the group tried their luck, some rather successfully, in these river-mining activities.
Just add heat
After visiting Ratnapura’s gem market, we witnessed the remarkable talents of experienced artisans who use traditional methods to heat gemstones. The stones are covered with a paste of burnt coconut husks and lime and then placed in a crucible in a charcoal fire. Next, a ‘blower’ blows through a tube to increase the fire’s heat and in turn, the gems. It usually takes three to six hours to reach the desired colour. It seems these ancient techniques are as effective as modern-day ovens.
The sixth day of our tour took us to the bustling resort town of Beruwala. While known for its pristine beaches, it is the nation’s second-largest gemstone marketplace and is fast becoming a global hub for coloured gemstone trading. Its dealers travel the world to bring back rough that is heated and cut in the area. As our buses wound through the town’s narrow streets to the trading district, we were met by hundreds of people with signs of welcome and refreshing coconut water to quench our thirst. After a few words of greeting by local authorities, dealers offered a wide range of gems in air-conditioned offices or right on the street.
The last morning, we visited a moonstone mine, with a 25-m shaft, along with cutting and polishing facilities in the area. The landowner also grows cinnamon; large bales of leaves were stacked in the area, waiting to be processed into oil.
At last, we returned to Colombo, some with packets of gems purchased or found along the way, either in the shallow pits or dredged from the river. Everyone left the mine tour with a greater appreciation of just how hard life really is behind that sparkly gemstone gracing a beautiful piece of jewellery.
A 20-year veteran of the jewellery and watch industry, Cynthia Unninayar travels the world reporting on the latest trends, promising new designers, global brands, and market conditions. Her interviews with some of the industry’s top players offer insight into what’s new and what’s happening on the global jewellery stage.
