Visiting Sri Lanka and exploring its gem mining areas, its Gem markets was an old dream...
While studying gemology in Burma
and Thailand, I've heard a lot about
the stones from this island. But
it took me some time to become familiar
with them. The reasons is simple:
"Rome was not build in one
day"... In 2000 in Burma where
I first studied gemology, I've focused
on what was available: Burmese gems.
Later in 2001 during my gemological
studies at GIA Thailand campus I
did not had the possibility to study
Sri Lankan gem as GIA provides no
information in its courses material
about the origin of the gem the
students can examine.
To try to see and study Sri Lankan
gems I tried to take advantage of
my fieldtrips to Chanthaburi week
end market. It was difficult as
there most of the stones were heated
and their origin most of the time
uncertain mainly due to the fact
that many brokers had no interest
for that and also because of my
poor Thai and the poor English of
the Thai dealers... I had of course
some theorical knowledge from my
studies and from the different books
I had read like "Ruby and Sapphire"
by Richard Hughes and from articles
in gemological magazines like "Gems
and Gemology" and "Journal
of Gemology".
But in gemology, theorical knowledge
is not enough to become efficient:
Studying real gemstones is a necessity
in order to turn theory into reliable
practical skills. In fact I was
only able to start serious studies
about Sri Lankan sapphires when
I joined the AIGS
as had the possibility to work on
their collection which is referenced
both regarding gemstone origin and
treatments. But still I had many
questions and I also found new domains
I wanted to investigate on.
As in the gem trade names like "Burma",
"Ceylon" or "Kashmir"
have some significant importance
in the trade as demand for gems
from this traditional famous origin
is higher than for other gems. In
fact two sapphires of similar beauty
can have a different value in the
trade if they have a different origin.
I was naturally very interested
to study more this difficult and
complex subject because, I have
to admit, in many cases I was facing
some important difficulties to separate
them.
The fact is that sapphires from
Sri Lanka and Burma are traditionally
presented like 2 different types
with some typical differences but
in fact they are also sharing many
similarities as they were both formed
from metasomatic processes involving
metamorphism and some exchanges
of matter pricipally fluids. In
many cases differentiation between
different origins is not an easy
task especially when heat treated
gemstones are involved and because
in the last 20 years several new
sources of rubies and sapphires
appeared creating increasing difficulties
as research takes time and also
because the geologic conditions
they were formed can be very is
similar to those of more traditional
origins.
I was then very interested to visit
the Sri Lanka mining areas in order
to collect information and samples
to study myself.
Sri Lanka was also very attractive
to me as it is, with Burma, one
of the oldest gem producing area
in Asia. As Burma, Sri Lanka is
a real gem paradise with an incredible
variety of gemstones: Beside its
well known moonstones and sapphires
(including yellow, blue, pink, geudas
and also its "padparadsha"
or "padmaraga" variety)
many other gemstones are found in
Sri Lanka: andalusite, apatite,
beryls, diamond, diopside, ekanite,
garnets, iolite, kornerupine, quartz,
sinhalite, spinel, taaffeite, topaz,
tourmalines and zircon.
Burma and Sri Lanka are the origin
of most of the world gem traditions
as Burmese and Sri Lankan gems are
known and traded for many centuries
already. The "gem island"
is a land of deep traditions, especially
regarding sapphires: If Burmese
have from centuries praised ruby,
Sri Lankan are sapphire lovers:
The words "pink sapphire"
are probably of Sri Lankan origin
as there pink stones are found in
alluvial deposits with other sapphires.
In Burma people are traditionaly
more willing to speak about "pink
rubies" even if things are
changing.
But probably the most famous Sri
Lankan sapphires are nevertheless
the so called: "padparadsha"
or "pathmaraga":
"The term pathmaraga is a Sinhalese
word applied to a very special color
variety of corundum, so named after
the lotus flower as its color is
sometimes akin to a variety of this
flower. [...] The color combination
produces the rare and beautiful
color of a sunset red at its best
as seen across a tropical sky. [...]
The color "pathmaraga is apparently
a combination of yellow, pink and
red with mildly conspicious flashes
od orange. It is indeed a strange
combination of colors where the
cumulative effects of the ratios
of color mixtures could invariably
produce different color tones. Like
the ruby, the pathmaraga too could
occur in different tones of color
from pale to deep but the basic
color ingredient should be present"
(From "Gems and gems deposits
of Sri Lanka", H.S. Gunaratne
and C.B. Dissanayake, 1995)
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As
there were many controversies
regarding which sapphires
could be called or not called
padparadsha, the seven major
gemological laboratories working
together in the " LMHC"
group ( for "Laboratory
Manual Harmonization Commitee")
in an attempt to harmonize
the wording on their reports,
have found an aggrement regarding
the use of the "Padparadsha"
name: The LMHC
worksheet Number 4 is
the result of these difficult
discussions and work. |
If
Sri Lanka is a land of traditions,
as the rest of the world it is changing
fast: New mining areas are now in
operation in the island, foreign
gemstones are now also present in
the island gem market especially
from stones from Madagascar and
Tanzania where Sri Lankan dealers
are very active, mechanical mining
is also starting in a country that
what up to very recently very reluctant
to any "modern mining methods"
and finally Sri Lankan have seriously
improved their capacities regarding
heat treatment. Besides the traditional
blow pipe method used to lighten
the dark blue sapphires and remove
the purplish secondary tone of pink
sapphires, now Sri Lankan are heating
their "geuda sapphires"
using some advanced modern furnaces
following the steps of the Thai
burners. They recently became real
experts on blue sapphire heat treatment
challenging the Thai suprematy in
this sensible domain.
All these new developments were
very interesting to me and I wanted
to witness them for long time. In
May 2005 I was alble to start a
fieldtrip in Sri Lanka with the
support of the AIGS Gemological
laboratory (I was then the director
until Oct 2006), the Gubelin Gem
Lab (I'm working as gemologist since
Feb 2007), The ICA (International
Colored stone Association) and my
friend and former student at AIGS
Jean Baptiste Senoble.
On May 14th 2005 I was finally flying
to Colombo with Jean Baptiste Senoble:
The objectives for this field trip
were to meet knowledgeable gemologists,
dealers and miners in order to improve
our good relations with the active
Sri Lankan gem trade, to visit gem
mining areas and gem markets of
interest and to collect usefull
samples to improve our collection
and keep our origin determination
capacities uo to date.
I invite you to visit our fieldtrip report.
As usual I attach some importance to share with you some of the highlights of this fieldtrip:
Here are some commented photo galleries of interested from our 2 weeks trip to the "Gem Island".
Most of them are not completed yet, but I will try to upload more photo during my trip to Madagascar and east Africa ...
 Traditional and modern gem mining in Ratnapura area.
 Underground visits of gemstone mines in Ratnapura area.
 River mines in Ratnapura and Okkampitaya area.
 Exploring gem mining from Okkampitaya to Bibile.
 One day gem mining near Bibile.
 Gem mining
near Elahera.
 Jungle gem mining and trekking near Elahera.
 Traditional and modern heat treatment in Ratnapura.
 Newitigala morning geuda market near Ratnapura.
 Ratnapura Landscapes, gem cutting, markets and people.
 Moonstone mining in Metiyagoda
I would like here to thanks all the people that has provided me their help in order to
make this trip a success:
AIGS Gemological Laboratory, Bangkok, Thailand
and Gubelin Gem Laboratory, Luzern, Switzerland.
Armil and Sarah Sammoon, from Sapphire Cutters
for all the help provided before and during this trip to Sri Lanka and they wonderful welcome in Colombo.
ICA vice president Jean Claude Michelou, and Sri Lankan
ICA members for their help to prepair this trip.
The Gemological Association of Australia, to have permitted us
to attend to their Annual Federal Conference in Colombo. We have really enjoyed the gemological presentations and to possibility
to meet very conveniently there many friendly gemologists from both Australia and Sri lanka.
Deen Anver and M.M.S. Hameed from "The World Crafts" for their welcome in Bibile and Metiyagoda.
Sisira Indra Kumara from Dunura Diamonds & Gems, "Master Simon" and Dunil P. Gunasekara for their time, precious help
and friendly welcome in Ratnapura. Ajith Konara from KMP mining in Elahera and all the anonymous wonderful Sri Lankan dealers and
miners we have met and that have allowed us to witness their hard work.
Special thanks also to M.S.M Fazli from the Gemmologists Association of Sri Lanka,
R.L. Upali Nandalal, Siripala Kathriarachchie, Epa Damayanthi and Swarna Edirisuriyg from
the Sri Lankan National Gem & Jewelry Authority
for their warm welcome in Colombo and Ratnapura.
Finally I would like to thanks and
recommend our excellent driver Sunil
and "Master" our local
guide for their professionalism
and disponibility. They have shared
with us most of this trip and did
more than a excellent job. I would
like particularly to recommend to
people willing to follow our steps
visiting Ratnapura, the services
of local independant guide "Master".
You can contact him at the following
number in Sri Lanka: 045-2222170.
He is a knowledgeable, honnest,
trustable and very helpful person.
Finally i would like to thanks my former student and friend: Jean Baptiste Senoble for his help
and to be such a good travelling buddy and my family to understand and accept my travelling nature.
All the best,
Vincent Pardieu
( Going down a mining pit in Ratnapura area, may 2005 )
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