Based on the geographical regions, Gem deposits found in Sri Lanka.
If you are a person who love to hear about Ceylon natural gemstones. This article is about gem deposits found in Sri Lanka based on the geographical regions. Sri Lanka is one of the resource countries in world gem industry. That’s why it is called “Ratnadeepa”. Although the soil is enriched with gems, but gem deposits are not found everywhere. Primarily gem deposits are concentrated in Ratnapura district located within Sabaragamuwa province.
We can classify the locations of gem deposits in several ways.
One such classification system proposed by Dissanayake & Rupasinghe in 1995 based on deposit genesis. According to this general classification, there are three zones associated with three main rock types.
Another classification system categorized gem deposits as major, extended & minor. Major areas are Rathnapura, known for its extensive gem deposits as well as Pelmadulla, Balangoda, Eheliyagoda, and Rakwana. These locations have been very famous since ancient times as traditional deposits.
The locations with newly extended gem deposits are Elahera, Bakamuna, Passara, Okkampitiya, Bibile, Kanthale, and Horana.
In addition to these areas, there are some locations with minor gem deposits such as Elapitiwala, Embilipitiya, Kahawatte, Koslanda, Meetiyagoda, Nivitigala, Udawalawe, Warakapola, and Wellawaya. Hikkaduwa, Kataragama, Warakapola, and Mawanella also produce some gems and valuable stones. There are some minefields, notability in Laggala, Hatamunagala, Ankanda, Ibulandanda, Walpolawatta, and Dunkalawatta writhing Mathale district.
The above locations spread across Sri Lanka based on five geographical regions. They are the Mesozoic-Cenozoic cover, the Wanni complex, the Highland complex, the Kadugannawa complex, and the Vijayan complex. These five regions differ from each other according to their rock types and structures. The highland complex is the most important place for gemstones and has many larger and smaller gem minefields.
Location | Rock type | |
Mesozoic- Cenozoic cover | north and northwest | |
Wanni complex | northern and western | sedimentary rocks |
Highland complex | northeast,central and southwest | high-grade metamorphic rocks such as gneiss, schist, and migmatite. |
Kadugannawa complex | central area | mix of metamorphic and igneous rocks |
Vijayan complex | southeastern and southern parts | younger metamorphic rocks |