Why Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
Sri Lanka, the Gorgeous Pearl of The Indian Ocean is not only a beautiful Island nation veiled by the “Endless Sheets of Heaven” , The Magnificently Picturesque Nation is a “Treasure Island”, enriched with the astonishing splendor of vividly colored bewitching gem stones that glitter to outshine the twinkling stars of a cloudless night.
The brilliance of colored stones from the “Serendib” (Sri Lanka) have inspired ancient Kings, Infamous Silk Road Traders of Chinese & Arabian & Chinese origin as well as Historians of medieval ancestry to affectionately nick name their precious little Island as “Rathna-Dweepaya” to mean “The Gemmed Island” in English.
Sri Lanka is one of the top gem bearing countries in the world with the highest density of gems in the world and is a global sourcing destination for over 75 varieties of precious and semi-precious gemstones
Marco Polo, the medieval Venetian traveler and chronicler (c. 1254 – 1324), in his classic work ‘Divestment dou Monde’ (Description of the World) wrote of the abundance of gemstones during his 1292 visit to Sri Lanka. “ I want you to understand that the island of Ceylon is, for its size, the finest island in the world, and from its streams comes rubies, sapphires, topazes, amethyst and garnet”.
Sixteenth century Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama noted that “Ceylon has all the fine cinnamon of the Indies and the best sapphires.”
In 1344 Ibn Battuta, the reputed Islamic scholar and traveler in his travelogue wrote that “Gems are found in all localities of the island. All the women of the possess necklaces of precious stones of diverse colors. They wear them on their hands and feet in the form of anklets and bracelets. I have seen on the forehead of the white elephant several of these precious stones, each of which was larger than a hen’s egg”.
There is a long and rich history of producing and trading precious gems within the eastern world. Looking through historical and fictional writing, it is easy to establish the longstanding connection of Sri Lanka to this gem industry. The rich and deep cultural connection, has even earned the island the title “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”. Merchants of the coastal towns in Arabia grew so rich, that Greek and Roman historians observed that their doors, walls, and even the roofs of their houses were beautifully inlaid with “ivory, gold, silver, and precious stones from the land of Serendib (Ceylon)”.
