|
A huge parcel of pink and padparaja sapphires. Despite the
poor storage mean, this lot was sold at an enormous price. Priceless
indeed. |
Jungle outside Ratnapura. Gem pits are present all
over. |
The "Kaluganga" is one of the
4 majors rivers of Sri Lanka and is flowing through Ratnapura.. |
Gem mining operation. You can see many sort of small
mining operations around town... |
|
Cutter pre-forming a sapphire. She is an exceptionally
skilled lapidary. |
Another skilled and beautiful as well lapidary
working for our friend. |
Miners at an auction. Parcels of rough are viewed by
the members, then everyone interested will place a written, anonymous bid
on a piece of paper and place it
in a glass, belonging to that particular parcel. The highest bid win the
lot. |
A final check of the rough before placing the bid. |
|
Counting the pieces of a parcel after viewing it. |
It is never enough checking the most likely clarity of
the rough... |
Rice paddy fields and jungle. |
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