Ratnapura means “city of gems,” and the gravels beneath the paddy fields of southern Sri Lanka have produced the world’s great blue sapphires for two thousand years, including the Star of India and the stone in a famous royal engagement ring. Miners still sink small hand-dug pits and wash the gravel in baskets exactly as their ancestors did. Working mines are PRIVATE; the Ratnapura market and museum are open, and the trade is centuries deep.
Sapphire, ruby, cat’s-eye
Sri Lanka
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Other places on the map within a couple of hours.
