Ratna-Dweepa · The Island of Gems
A History Written in Stone
few places on Earth have been mined for as long — or given the world as many legends
c. 500 BCE
Ratna-Dweepa — the island of gems
Sanskrit traders name the island for its stones. Sinhalese chronicles record gem tribute to kings, and legend places the gem trade at the court of King Solomon, who is said to have wooed the Queen of Sheba with a Ceylon ruby.
2nd century CE
Rome buys Ceylon sapphire
Ptolemy's geography notes the island's beryl and sapphire; Roman trade routes carry Ceylon stones west across the Indian Ocean.
1292
Marco Polo's account
"The island of Seilan produces more beautiful and valuable rubies than are found in any other part of the world… and sapphires the finest and biggest."
1505–1815
Colonial gem rush
Portuguese, Dutch, and British administrations successively control the gem trade of Ratnapura — literally "the city of gems" — whose alluvial deposits are still worked by hand today.
1926
The Blue Belle of Asia
A 392-carat sapphire is unearthed near Pelmadulla. Nine decades later it sells for over US$17 million — still the world-record price for a sapphire at auction.
1981
A Ceylon sapphire for a princess
Lady Diana Spencer chooses a 12-carat Ceylon blue sapphire engagement ring; it is now worn by Catherine, Princess of Wales — perhaps the most famous gem in the world.
The story continues — one stone at a time.
Explore the collection