The Land of Gem

Throughout history, Sri Lanka has been known as a land of gems. King Solomon was said to have procured a great ruby for the Queen of Sheba from Ceylon (Sri Lankas former name). Marco Polo (1293AD) wrote about the ruby that once graced the Ruwanweliseya Pagoda at Anuradhapura…” a flawless ruby span long and quite as thick as a man’s arm.”

The400 carat blue sapphire called “Blue Belle” which adorns the British Crown is from Sri Lanka. The Beautiful star sapphire misnamed the “Star of India” (on permanent display in the Museum of Natural History in New York) is another Sri Lankan treasure.

Rathnapura is the most famous gem-mining locality in Sri Lanka. At the National Museum, Gemological Museum, the Rathnapura Gem Bureau and Museum or in many other gem workshops in Rathnapura, one can get the rare opportunity to see a variety of precious stones such as rubies, sapphires, cat’s eyes, alexandrite, aquamarines, tourmalines, spinals, topaz, garnets, amethyst, zircons etc. and also the traditional ways of cutting and polishing gem stones.

Rathnapura is situated at the foot of the 2243 meter high Adam’s Peak. All four major religions claim Adam’s Peak as a holy mountain. Buddhist calls the mountain Siripada (the sacred footprint) and believes the Lord Buddha has visited this mountain and set his sacred footprint. Hindus say it is Lord Shiva’s and Muslims believe that it is the place where Adam first set foot on earth. Catholics say it is of St. Thomas the Christian apposite who preached in South India the pilgrimage season is from December to April. However the journey to Adam’s Peak is more convenient via Hatton and Dalhousie than via Rathnapura.