gems, corundum, Sri Lanka.12

Claremont describes Ceylon (Sri Lanka) as one of the world’s great sources of precious stones, with particular attention to the gem-bearing gravels and the traditional methods used to recover their contents. The article discusses the mining, washing, sorting, and trading of gems and describes several of the stones for which the island was famous, including sapphire, ruby, cat’s-eye, spinel, zircon, and other varieties. Illustrated with 12 photographs, it provides a contemporary account of Ceylon’s gem fields, miners, working methods, and gem industry in the early twentieth century.