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are found, separated by a band of clay. However this may be, 

 the illam is removed from the pit and subsequently washed in a 

 "gemming basket." This is made of cane, and is of conical form, 

 about 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep, and has a rim about 2\ inches 

 wide. The washer stands in about 2 feet of water, and holding the 

 basket in the water gives it a turning movement, depressing the 

 rim below the water once in every turn, so that the lighter stones 

 are washed over its edge by the centrifugal movement. Fifteen or 

 twenty basketfuls are thus washed, and the residue, consisting 

 only of gems and other heavy minerals, examined. The re maining 

 material, usually thrown away, is called ndmhu; it often contains 

 minerals of scientific interest, and further, it is in this way that 

 the heavy minerals such as thorianite, containing rare elements, 

 are obtained. 



Tabular List of Gems found in Ceylon. 



Corundum. — Includes sapphire (blue), ruby (red), star sapphire, 

 and star ruby. White sapphires have had their original pale 

 blue or yellow colour discharged by burning. Rubies are almost 

 always burnt in order to discharge in the same way any trace of 

 blue colour. Yellow sapphires are "oriental topaz," and violet 

 coloured ones oriental amethyst. Pinkish-yellow stones are 

 called " king topaz." 



Quartz. — Includes rock crystal, amethyst, cairngorm, smoky 

 quartz, &c. 



Spinel. — Green, blue, red. The pink and red varieties are 

 called balas ruby ; the blue, spinel sapphire. 



Ghrysoheryl. — Green and yellow ; includes cat's-eye and alex- 

 andrite. 



Topaz. — Colourless, erroneously called water sapphire ; rarely 

 yellow ; pale sea-green, cut as aquamarine. 



Othoclase-Feldspar. — Includes moonstone, quarried from the 

 matrix in the Central Province. 



Tourmaline. — Brown and brownish-green and yellow ; see 

 zircon. 



Beryl. — Pale sea-green, cut as aquamarine (true aquamarine) ; 

 the true emerald colour is extremely rare in Ceylon. 



Cordierite. — Blue, the true water sapphire ; rarely seen. 



Garnet. — Red, pinkish-red, and brownish-yellow (cinnamon 

 stone). 



Zircon.— Green, yellow; the colourless " Matara diamonds" are 

 got by burning pale zircons and so driving off the colour. Most of 

 the material called toramalli by gemmers is actually zircon, and 

 not tourmaline. 



K 105-04 



