GEMSTONES FROM THE TISSAMAHARAMA AREA IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

Since about two years gems are mined in the Tissamaharama area in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Main places of interest are Amarawewa, about six miles from Tissamaharama in the direction of Kataragama and Kochipadana, about three miles to the east of Kataragama. Gems are found in alluvial deposits in pits with a depth of about one yard, a gem-bearing level situated at about that depth. Working may be considered, therefore, as surface mining, in particular in Kochipadana. In Amarawewa mainly gem-quality sapphire is found. Also big quantities of blue spinel and yellowish brown tourmaline occur. Apart from some moonstone and aquamarine, also rare gem-stones like almost colourless scapolite, greenish apatite, diopside and sphene are discovered in the material collected by the author in February 1981. In Kochipadana not only corundum, especially sapphire, occurs, but also beautiful yellowish brown tourmaline, blue spinel, almandine garnet and hessonite garnet are found in big quantities. Less important are zircon, beryl and quartz. Amongst the unusual gemstones apatite, diopside and a light green spodumene may be mentioned. It is striking that the gem mlinerals found in this area, are only slightly waterworn. Most of them are well-developed crystals, an observation indicating that their natural transport has been considerably less than that of gem minerals else-where in Sri Lanka. It is not unlikely therefore that further investigation will solve the problem where these gem minerals are formed originally, somewhere in the same part of the country.