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GEMS IN CEYLON.
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1'egu
river, and that there are others in the mountains beyond that river,
but of au inferior quality; yet lie says that a ruby from Pegu, perfect
in quality, weighing twelve carats, was only worth in his time 150
golden crowns, and he values one of Ceylon of the same weight at 200
crowns, lie says also that there are some in Ceylon weighing 16 carats
which are worth 600 crowns; he does not say that there are any so large
in Pegu; but it does not appear that fine rubies are so common in
Ceylon as there. They arc * assayed in this way:—when a ruby of
considerable size is brought to the king, he sends for his jewellers,
who tell him to what degree the gem can stand fire, and how long; these
men are seldom in error; the ruby is then thrown into the fire and left
there as long as they have stated, and when it is taken out, if it has
borne the fire well and is of a more lively colour, it is esteemed much
more highly than those of Pegu.
Two sorts of sapphires are
also found in Ceylon; the better kind are hard and of a fine deep blue,
and are greatly esteemed; but the pale blue ones are little thought of,
yet they are valued more highly than those which are obtained from the
mine near Mangalore, or from C'apucar in the Kingdom of Calicut.
Fine topazes are
also procured from Ceylon ; when they are clear and brilliant, they are
sold for their weight in gold; but when they are whitish, the
Singhalese use them to make false diamonds.
Barbosa
says that the Singhalese know so well how to bleach sapphires, topazes
and other hard stones, that many people take them for the finest
diamonds, and that a person must be an adept in this matter not to be
deceived by them; and that time alone shews whether, stones thus
prepared are false or not, as they lose their whiteness by wear and
resume partially their natural colour. The jewellers, however, say that
topazes well bleached always remain white.
Barbosa does not mention the cat's-eyes found in Ceylon; he only says that the Singhalese can counterfeit that stone perfectly.
GEMS IN CEYLON.
The following is from a European Colonist with a long experience oi Rakwana. He writes in May 1881:—
From
time immemorial the Island of Ceylon has been noted for its precious
stones, and the greatest portion of the island, especially the southern
half, is pockmarked with the pits dug by ancient and modern gemmers.
With few exceptions these pits are of the most superficial character,
as without adequate appliauces it is impossible to keep them clear of
water when they are deeper than 10 or 15 feet. The only gemmer who has
used a pump driven by horse-power is Mr. C. M. C. Hassena Markar on the
gemming ground near Ratnapura. The Sabaragamuwa district has always
been considered to be the richest field for gemmers. In the
neighbourhood of Awisa-wella, Ratnapura, and Balangoda, there were
formerly extensive gemmings, but these have been in a great degree
abandoned for other fields in the same district, and of these by far
the richest has been North Rakwana, which now supplies the chief part
of the sapphires, cat's-eyes and other precious stones sold in Ceylon.
The
richest fields arc situated on a plateau at the base of the Suryakauda
and Kabaragala mountains, on the top and sides of Rakwana, and
extending from the Springwood estate on the cast to the Marlinstown
estate 011 the west. During the last ten years, the gemming by natives
in this locality has been of the most extensive character, and auction
sales of large quantities of rough gems arc not uncommon. It is stated
that ninety thousand rupees worth of rough gems were sold at one of the
auctions, the result of gemming on one of the estates at the foot of
the Kabaragala mountain.
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