gems, corundum, fashioning.9, Sri Lanka, Ceylon

Drawing on information provided by cutters, factory owners and machine manufacturers, this article traces the evolution of gem-cutting technology in Sri Lanka, from the use of traditional machines such as the hanaporuwa and the bannku opa pattalaya, to the birth of the modern cutting industry that started in the 1970s with the introduction of the Imahashi faceting machine from Japan. Modifications to its design by visionary Sri Lankan companies such as Bandu Wickrama Engineering Works and Sterling Gems & Lapidary provided further innovations that facilitated the introduction of affordable and precision-quality machines into commercial cutting facilities, leading to great improvements in the quality of gemstone faceting in Sri Lanka.