Tag Archives: Sri Lanka gemstones at Expo

The Sri Lankan Pavilion situated in the Opportunity District is set to be a buzz on Saturday, 26 February 2022, where visitors will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the largest single assortment of sapphire masterpieces from The Island of Gems, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, with its vibrant past in the gem and jewellery trade, will for the first time, display an extraordinary selection of its most exclusive sapphires for public viewing, showcasing its rich national wonders and artistry. There are consistent records in history of Sri Lanka’s prominent position as an Island of Gemstones. Already by the first century AD, the western Roman Empire was trading in Sri Lankan gems. References to the gem riches of Sri Lanka – including sapphire, beryl, topaz, amethyst and garnet – are made bythe Greek astronomer Ptolemy in 2nd century, the Italian adventurer Marco Polo in 12th Century, the famous Arab explorer Ibn Battuta in 14th century and English sea captain Robert Knox in the 17th century. “The country’s precious gems and ornate jewellery were amongst the oldest items traded over the years. Renowned for its sapphires, these precious stones have adorned some of the world’s most famous jewellery pieces and have found their way to museums around the world. We are now on a journey to give the Sri Lankan sapphire the prominence it deserves in the global arena with the goal of increasing the appreciation and desirability toward our gems’, commented a spokesperson from the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association. ‘Day of Sapphires’ is set to transport visitors across the ages, through surviving treasures, like one engraved 14th century ring which adorns a sapphire from the 10th …

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