Sri Lanka’s city of Gems, Ratnapura, is the world’s richest treasure house of gems. Rare sparkling precious and semi-precious stones are found in the rich soil that covers the entire district.

The fame of this small city in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka is as old as history and many are the legends that surround the glittering city of gems.  Today, as in those distant days, this small city continues to remain one of the world’s biggest exporters of gems which are both rare and of the highest quality.

Apart from the sparkling stones that are sold uncut, polished or in the form of delicate beautiful jewellery, visitors to the city are fascinated by the sight of the gem mines scattered in many parts of the city.  This is something a visitor cannot miss as the city is full of eager gem hunters hoping to strike gold by unearthing a rare precious stone or several of them from a mine.

A walk along the narrow streets in this fabled city of gems is an unforgettable experience.  The streets are lined with gem and jewellery shops.  One will be certainly interested to know that some of the world’s largest gems have been found in this Island, such as the blue sapphire weighing 466 carats and the largest known sapphire weighing 19 kgs. 

In Ratnapura there is a gem museum which is worth visiting to see how these stones are cut, polished and made into beautiful jewellery using both traditional and modern methods.

A visit to this city of gems is a must for any visitor.  It is a city set amidst a mix of paddy fields, rubber and tea plantations which give a scenic backdrop to this legendary city of a thousand gems.