Visitors can watch the mining of gems in real time, as it is still done by hand using traditional techniques. The miners toil in very terrible conditions, with pay contingent on their achievement, in shafts supported entirely by wood. And you're more than eager to demonstrate how easily the diamonds can be cleaned. It's unbelievable that these gems may be found in a clump of dirt. Only a skilled expert can spot a raw gemstone; to the untrained eye, he is undetectable.
From biblical times, Sri Lanka has been renowned for its valuable and semi-precious stones. They include sapphires, rubies, moonstones, tourmalines, grenades, spinels, aquamarines, blue topazes, cat's eyes, and quartz. The aforementioned images were taken in and around Pelmadulla, the sole location where mining is currently taking place. Rathnapura is the nearest town, and it's known as the gem capital of the world because it's surrounded by farmland in the middle of nowhere.