JWUAKY, 1912 



KN'n\vLi:nGE 



By the siii)crstitious natives tht- cvmopliaiic is 

 considered to be an entombed spirit, and this 

 can l>e more readil\- understood than many other 

 similar conceits, because of the strange resemblance 

 of the stone to the eye of an animal. 



Many shades of soft yellow, brown, cinnamon and 

 green are displa\ed by specimens of the mineral 

 jargoon or zircon. (See Figure .5.) This gem-stone 

 is strangely unappreciated, for not onlv is the colour- 

 ing most pleasing, but the brilliance is second onlv 

 to that of the diamond. 



Another reason why the neglect of the zircon is 

 unaccountable is that 

 this beautiful gem is 

 comp;irati\i Iv iiu-xiien- 

 si\e. 



The w liter has onl\- 

 sjiacc brielK' to complete 

 the list of precious 

 stones of Ceylon, for his 

 object is to give the 

 reader some idea of the 

 manner in which thev 

 are handled. 



There are garnets, red. 

 brown, violet and cinna- 

 mon : topazes, white and 

 blue: tourmalines, red. 

 claret, green, yellow and 

 blue ; aquamarines or 

 beryls. sk\-blueand sea- 

 green : besides iolotes 

 and moonstones. (See 

 Figure 5.) 



From the foregoing paragraphs it should be apparent 

 that these gems present a pageant of colour 

 unequalled by those of any other district. 



From the finding of a precious stone in a ri\er- 

 bank or gem-pit, to its use as a jewel b\' a woman of 

 fashion, it passes through many strange hands, and 

 undergoes much alteration in appearance. 



The securing, cutting, polishing and marketing of 

 such a large number of gems necessarily com[)rise 

 an important industry. The entire trade is controlled 

 locallv b\- the Moormen, man\" of w bom are extremelv 

 wealthy. 



The foremost of them not onlv bu\- up the most 

 important stones as they are found from time to 

 time, but send out expeditions into the [irincipal gem- 

 producing areas to search for them. They all either 

 retain their own cutters or superintend the work gi\en 

 out to be done. No foreigner is admitted within the 

 magic circle of the Moormen e.xcept as a customer. 



The Moormen are descendants of the Moors who 

 once occupied Ceylon, and of whose forts large ruins 

 still exist in the island. 



The value of the precious stones annualK' exported 

 to Europe and America from Ceylon is estimated at 

 three million pounds, and high prices, esi)ecialK' 

 for choice specimens, are realised locally from 

 travellers and tourists. 



The gem-stones are of igneous origin, and have 



I'iGU 

 Native gem cutters at work w 



been loosened from the granite and gneissic rocks 

 in which they were formed, by disintegration. 

 They are found in a stratum of alluvial gravel which 

 is know II to the natives as " illam," which is reached 

 by digging pits of from three to thirty feet in depth, 

 The\' are generalK- in the form of more or less water- 

 worn nodules, undamaged crystals being very rare, 

 (See Figure 2.) 



When the pits arc deep, the illam is hoisted to the 

 surface by means of a primitive kind of wooden 

 crane (see Figure 1), and it is then carried to the 

 nearest stream or jiool to be washed. 



It is often found, in 

 low-lying spots, that old 

 disused gem-pits which 

 ha\'e become filled with 

 water, are available for 

 the washing of the gcm- 

 licnring material. 



The illam consists of 

 :r;L\-el embedded in 

 \ rllow or reddish cla\', 

 and is usually lirought 

 to the surface in a dr\- 

 rrindition. but when the 

 ;-:iin-pit is below tlli> 

 lc\el of a neighiiouriiig 

 streatn, it is rather 

 muddy. 



Sometimes the st la- 

 tum of illam crops out. 

 or is exposed upon the 

 surface of the countrj-, 

 and this is generally 

 slopes and banks of 



Kli 10. 



ith the overseer watching them. 



the 



When this is the case, \'er\- 

 done, as the material is more 



found to occur on 

 ri\ers and streams, 

 little excavation is 

 easil\- obtainable. 



The searching for gems is carried on from October 

 to March. The washing is done by means of a 

 circular basin - shaped basket, about twenty-eight 

 inches in diameter and twelve in depth, which is 

 called a '"gemming basket "" : the native wading up 

 to his knees holds the basket in the water. (See 

 Figure 7.1 



.■\ circular turning movement (sec Figure i>) is 

 given to the basket, which is occasionally allowed to 

 tilt below the surface of the water, and in this way 

 the lighter stones slip over the edge, and the heavier 

 ones remain in the basket. (See Figure 9.) 



.\fter a good many baskets full of gravel have been 

 washed in this way. the residue, which is found to 

 contain thorianite and thorite and other heavj' 

 minerals, is carefull\- searched for gem-stones. 



The number of gems found of insignificant value 

 is extremel)- large in proportion to that of the choice 

 specimens, so that often a great deal of work is done 

 before there is any prospect of recompense. 



When an important stone is discovered there is 

 great excitement among the natives, and many 

 would-be buyers eagerly endeavour to outdo each 

 other in obtaining a bargain. The price asked is 



