The south of Sri Lanka is so much more than its pristine coastlines and rich colonial history for even the Ceylon gems are part of this remarkable stretch of land. Precious and semi precious, the gems of Sri Lanka has received worldwide acclamation ever since it landed on the engagement ring of the late Princess Diana. Throughout the island there are several mines with a variety of famous gemstones. The mines in Sri Lanka make an interesting attraction since it provides an opportunity to explore the process of gemming from extracting the rock to polishing it to the sparkling stone that it eventually becomes.
Many tourists visiting Sri Lanka choose the south thanks to its fine collection of Sri Lanka beach hotels. If you are staying in one of the Ahungalle hotels a visit to the moonstone mine is an absolute must do. Moonstones are semi precious gems that feel cool and smooth and glows like a moon when polished. The highest concentrations of moonstones are found in the south of Sri Lanka, somewhere between the towns of Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa. A little moonstone factory has been setup in this location where you can learn everything you need to know about a moonstone. You can even visit a moonstone mine here which is about 6 or 7 m long and watch the entire process from filtering out the stones, cutting them up to polishing them making them all shiny and ready to be sold. Moonstone mining is still performed in a traditional manner. Although machines suck out the water most of the digging is done by hand. Nearly 50 to 100 rough moonstones are mined each day but not all of them are of a saleable quality.
By the side of the factory is a small visitor center where you can learn about the gems in Sri Lanka. If you have taken a liking towards these stones there is even a gift shop where you can purchase anything from jewelry to souvenirs all with your favorite gemstones embedded in them.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry. Google+