F.G.A.s Visit Sri Lanka

In mid-April 2004, a small group of gemmologists paid a 2-week, privately-organised visit to Sri Lanka, the beautiful island off the southern tip of India and which is world-famous as a source of a wide range of fine gemstones - as well as being a major grower of the nation’s favourite beverage!

The flight was via Dubai where we were able to stock-up with various, duty-free goodies. Following our late-afternoon arrival into Kutunayake Airport, we were met by a good friend, Zafar Hassen and his wife, Thibba. After squeezing the luggage into our private minibus, we settled down for the approximately 1-hour drive into the capital, Colombo.

This was the first visit for some but for others it was a welcome return for the umpteenth time so, as has become traditional, the drive was interrupted for a refreshing drink of King Coconut or Tambili. This bright orange to yellow-skinned coconut is totally different to “ordinary” coconut (or Pol) and contains several hundred millilitres of a slightly sweet to salty liquid. It could be considered to be Nature’s own version of an isotonic drink and was the ideal counter to the long journey. If ever in need, it can always be relied on as a safe, sterile drink.
	King Coconut
Our destination was The Continental Hotel, situated on the shores of the Indian Ocean, and it was to be our base for most of the first week. Blessed with a swimming pool, the hotel serves business clients as well as being a tourist stop-over.
	Continental Hotel

Our arrival coincided with the Sinhalese New Year festivities which included several Public Holidays. Unfortunately, in addition to the holidays affecting the business side of the trip, there was a ban on serving alcohol in public places! However, we were lucky that many of the gem dealers were still willing to call and we were able to view their stones in a specially arranged dealing room in the hotel.

gem dealers		gem poker

A wide range of stones was on offer – many were of Sri Lankan origin but there were also stones from other localities such as Madagascar, Nigeria and Brazil. Examples included:

These 2 zircons were both of approx 7.2ct. The brown stone was Sri Lankan and the blue was from Cambodia. Both showed signs of paper-wear
	2 zircons
This pink tourmaline weighed 12.5 ct and was probably from Continental Africa or Madagascar.
	tourmaline
In celebration of the New Year, the hotel had organised a small reception for its guests. This included an athletic performance by Kandyan Dancers followed by the serving of dishes traditional for this festival.
	Kandyan Dancers

One of the major objectives of the visit was to forge stronger links with Sri Lankan gemmologists, many of whom are also F.G.A.s as well as good personal friends. We were honoured to be invited to attend a meeting of the Gemmologists’ Association of Sri Lanka during which David Lancaster gave a talk on 20th Century jewellery and Colin Winter gave a talk on diamonds.

Colin Winter		David Lancaster

Both lectures were very well received and the speakers were delighted to be presented with copies of “Gems and Gem Deposits of Sri Lanka”.
	speakers' gifts
News of Colin’s new book “A Students’ Guide To Spectroscopy” had generated significant interest and the few copies that he had with him were soon snapped up.
	book signing
Following the meeting, we were generously treated to dinner by the committee of the G.A.S.L. over which many topics were discussed including the recently resolved controversy surrounding certain heat-treatments of sapphire. As many of our group were also committee members of Gem-A South East Branch, we explored the possibility of holding a joint G.A.S.E.B. / G.A.S.L. Conference in Sri Lanka in 2005. This idea was enthusiastically received and preliminary discussions took place on what we could arrange. Many offers of assistance were made by the G.A.S.L. committee and the planning is currently in progress. Further details will become available at a later date.
	dinner with GASL
Other than seeing stones in the comfort of the dealing room, a trip to the town of Ratnapura – the “City of Gems” – brought a whole new dimension to the “art” of buying stones. Within minutes of stepping off the bus, the “bush telegraph” had kicked into gear and each member of the group was surrounded by dealers, all shoving stones into one’s hands. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending upon one’s viewpoint), there were fewer dealers than normal due to the holidays.
	gem dealers in Ratnapura
One’s gemmological knowledge was truly put to the test as, whilst standing on the street and with only a few basic instruments (such as loupe, OPL spectroscope and torch), the identity of a wide range of cut and rough gems had to be determined – without reference to books! Once identified (and if it was actually wanted), a valuation had to be made in one’s head – then the fun began in trying to negotiate a price at or below that valuation. To counter the ridiculously high, initial asking prices an equally low offer would be made. It was not uncommon for negotiations to stall and the stone to disappear only for it to reappear 30 minutes later and for negotiations to recommence. If the valuation was not ridiculously low and if one was persistent then a deal was usually agreed. In exchange for one’s efforts (not to mention Rupees), a wide selection of interesting cut gems and crystals (as well as the odd synthetic) could be acquired – together with many memories.
	where gem knowledge pays off

A refuge from the hustle of the street below was found in the State-run Rest House up on the hill that overlooks the town. It provided a welcome break for drinks and sandwiches or curry - although several enterprising dealers inevitably made their way up on various modes of transport, hoping for further sales.

Rest House in Ratnapura		refreshments at the Rest House

The trip wasn’t all “work” and the evenings were generally spent relaxing. One restaurant that should be considered a “must” visit is The Beach Wadiya. As the name suggests, it is situated on the beach and is quite un-prepossessing to look at but it has a high reputation. Serving seafood freshly caught that day, it can boast Princess Anne, Richard Branson and various members of the England Cricket Team amongst its former clientele. As usual, the meal was splendid as were the accompanying bottles of the locally-produced rum! One of the local feline inhabitants invited himself to our table and was duly made welcome.

dinner at the Beach Wadiya		strolling entertainment

Whilst the average temperatures in Colombo vary between the high 20’s to mid 30’s with a high relative humidity (definitely a hazard if you wear glasses and move out of air-conditioned rooms or vehicles), these moderate as one moves inland and upwards to the city of Kandy, which was to be our stop for a few days. The drive up was relatively slow and a break for a cup of tea at the Ambepussa Rest House was welcome.

Another compulsory stop - especially for “Elephiles” – was the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala. Although it is a huge tourist attraction for Sri Lankans and foreigners alike, it does serve a serious function in providing a home for orphaned, injured or displaced elephants. Most of the elephants are allowed to wander freely within the large compound, accompanied by their human minders but, for safety reasons, the mature males have to be chained-up when in “must”.

Elephant Orphanage

Depending upon how brave one felt, it was quite possible to get very close to the herd but it was quite disconcerting when they decided to move!

the herd		there's no fence!		baby

Although our visit didn’t coincide with the twice-daily bathing time, it is quite a sight to see the whole herd being taken down to the local river. To see the elephants enjoying wallowing in the water is a great pleasure for the visitors too and provides yet another photo opportunity!

Further images of the elephants may be found here.

On arrival in Kandy we checked into the Hotel Suisse, a Colonial Style building with plenty of character. It was Mountbatten’s H.Q. during W.W.2 and stands by a large, man-made (excavated by hand) lake – part of which can be seen here. Taken from a hilltop behind the hotel, the picture shows the solid gold roof of part of the Temple of the Tooth, a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists and which is home to a sacred relic of Buddha.

Hotel Suisse in Kandy

Whether you are botanically inclined or not, another “must” visit in Kandy is to the fabulous Peredeniya Botanical Gardens. Established during the height of the British Empire, it contains a huge collection of mature tropical to sub-tropical trees and shrubs - all kept in immaculate condition. It is without doubt the finest Botanical Gardens in South East Asia and several hours would be needed to get a reasonable view.

topiary	monkey	botanical wonders	botanical wonders

For the botanically inclined – especially if you like orchids – you can view many more images here.

We also spent a few days at the Royal Palms Hotel, a beach resort in the town of Kalutara which lies approximately 60 km south of Colombo. For some, it provided an opportunity to top-up one’s tan, for others a time to read and relax – not to mention have a game or two of snooker.

Royal Palms Hotel in Kalutara		beach at Kalutara		beach at Kalutara

Whilst in Kalutara, a short excursion provided an opportunity to see a demonstration of traditional cutting.

traditional lapidary		traditional lapidary

We also found flowers of the King Lotus on sale as offerings at a Buddhist temple. This flower is supposed to be the colour of a fine Padparadscha (although colour reproduction may affect this image).
	King Lotus flowers

As a comparison with traditional cutting methods, we were also able to see the more modern side of the Sri Lankan gem cutting industry when Anura Wigemanna showed us around his cutting facilities. Processing either his own or his clients’ material, his company is able to cut a wide variety of stones to calibrated sizes in a wide variety of styles and these are being used in quantity in jewellery worldwide.

modern lapidary	modern lapidary	modern lapidary	modern lapidary

The last few days back in Colombo gave us an opportunity to stock up on designer clothes at ridiculously low prices or to close final stone purchases before our early-morning return flight to London.

Even though the trip was only a couple of months ago preliminary preparations are underway for next year’s South East Branch Conference in Colombo. A brief “flyer” appears on this site and further details will become available later. Unfortunately, details can’t be finalised as yet due to matters beyond our control such as publication of airline schedules and prices.

If this has whetted your appetite to attend please check back regularly or, to register your interest, please contact us as per flyer or by email at info@ga-seb.org.