By Arundathie Abeysinghe

Lecturer/TrainerInternational

Aviation Academy (IAA)

SriLankan Airlines 1Arundathie Abeysinghe

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Sri Lanka - affectionately known as Ratna-Dweepa - Gem Island - a reflection of its natural wealth and beauty

The island had the best sapphires, topazes, amethysts, and other gems in the world - Marco Polo

Sri Lanka called ‘Serendib’ by middle – eastern and Persian traders

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Sri Lanka - ranked - top five gem-bearing nations in the world

Blue and Yellow Sapphire, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Star Ruby and Star Sapphire

During the past - Sri Lanka - world famous for gems - the land of gems

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Sri Lanka – a country with rocks of Precambrian age, 560 million - 2,400 million

Gems form in sedimentary residual gem deposits, eluvial deposits, metamorphic deposits, skarn and calcium-rich rocks

Residual deposits are mainly found in flood plains of rivers and streams

Sri Lanka has the highest density of gem deposits compared to its landmass

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Blue Sapphire - king of Sri Lankan gems

400 carat Blue Sapphire - Blue Belle - adorning the British Crown - from Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has a variety of gems - home to 40 varieties of gems out of 85 varieties in the world

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Ratnapura – city of gems - world famous for precious stones and gem mining – in Sinhala "ratna" means gems and "pura" means city

Centre of a long-established industry of precious stone mining - rubies, sapphires and other gems

Has a well-established tourism industry7Arundathie Abeysinghe

Prominent gem mining destination in Sri Lanka

Situated around 100 kms south-east of Colombo

Most popular gem hub of Sri Lanka A large number of gem mines -

scattered in many parts of the city

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World’s biggest exporters of gems -both rare and of the highest quality are in Ratnapura

Ratnapura has a bustling market square where gem trading is a common trade for many years

Traditional gem mining and gem cutting operations are performed at Ratnapura

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Alexandrite Alexandrite Cat's Eye Almandine Garnet Amethyst Aquamarine Beryl Blue Sapphire Chrysoberyl Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye Citrene Hessonite Garnet Moonstone 10Arundathie Abeysinghe

Orange Sapphire Pathparaja Sapphire Pink Sapphire Pyrope Garnet Rhodolite Garnet Ruby Spessartite Garnet Spinel Star Ruby Star Sapphire Tourmaline Yellow Sapphire Topaz Zircon

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Thank you!

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