Glossary
Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
Sri Lanka is one of the world’s oldest gem sources; sapphires have been mined here for more than two thousand years. The island was long called Ceylon, the name under which its stones are still known in the trade. The centre is around Ratnapura, whose name means «city of gems».
Sapphire and padparadscha
Many of the largest fine sapphires come from Sri Lanka. Typical are lively, rather light to medium blues, often called «cornflower blue» in the trade. The orange-pink padparadscha is at home here; its name comes from Sinhala and means lotus blossom. Fine rutile needles make star sapphires possible.
Alexandrite and mining
Since the 1920s Sri Lanka has also produced alexandrite, often in larger stones with a more moderate colour change. Mining traditionally takes place in narrow pits in river gravels. Because many Madagascar stones are cut in Sri Lanka, only the laboratory report is decisive for origin.
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- GlossaryAbsorption spectrumWhen light passes through a gemstone, the stone absorbs certain wavelengths – the rest make up its colour.Read more
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Updated 2026-10-06