Sri Lankan precious stones lure Arab women

Arab travellers to Sri Lanka are showing a keen interest in the country’s precious stones, according to a research conducted by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau’s Middle (SLTPB) East office.

“Arab visitors surveyed by our offices, particularly female visitors confirmed one of their primary reasons for visiting the country was to shop for precious stones,” said Heba Al Ghais Al Mansoori, Middle East Director of SLTPB.

Al Mansoori noted that Sri Lanka is a leading producer of gems in the world. It is home to 40 of the 85 varieties of gems in the world. Among them are the rare Alexandrite, Sapphire, Cat’s Eye, Ruby, Topaz, Garnet, Zircon, Quartz, Tourmaline and Feldspar.

Sri Lanka is currently positioned in the global market as a source of supply of high quality sapphires and as a supplier of cut and polished, free size and calibrated stones and more recently as a supplier of modern jewellery. The Sri Lankan gem sector, currently earns US$ 500 million in exports earning.

“Sri Lankan gems have been admired and sought after by the rich and famous for thousands of years. Legend has it that King Solomon wooed Queen Sheba by presenting her with a beautiful ruby from Sri Lanka,” Al Mansoori said. Arab merchants are believed to have been familiar with the jewels of ‘Serendib’ giving colour to the fable “Arabian Nights” and the voyages of “Sindbad the Sailor”. A 400-carat Blue Sapphire adorns the British Crown even today. The famous Arab traveller Ibn Battuta who travelled to Sri Lanka between 1333 and 1341 AD wrote:

“All the women in the island of Ceylon have necklaces of rubies of different colours and wear them also on their arms and legs in place of bracelets and anklets,” Al Mansoori said.

The largest star ruby in the world valued at over US$ 25 million is also a product of Sri Lanka. The Rosser Reeves Star Ruby is a 138.7-carat stone and is recognised as the largest and finest star ruby in the world. It is named after Rosser Reeves the American advertising-guru who developed the unique selling proposition (USP) concept. Reeves donated the gem to the Smithsonian Institute in 1965 and it is now a prized exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History.“Most of Sri Lanka’s precious stones are mined in Ratnapura,” Al Mansoori said.

Courtesy Al Bawaba