Sri Lanka Tour Page 1

When Iflal buys the stone in the rough, the stone does not resemble a finished ruby or sapphire. The rough is just collected from alluvial deposits in city of Ratnapura, which means "City of Gems." It appears as a bluish or reddish stone. Looking at rough, one cannot be entirely sure whether or not it will produce a good quality gemstone. In this first photo, a woman is shown at a stone faceting bench. Note the round wheel in front of her which is where the rough stone is polished. A special thanks to John Ross for providing the photos for this tour of Iflal's factory.