Sapphire supply chain in Sri Lanka
From gem gravel in Ratnapura to a retailer's display case, a Sri Lankan sapphire passes through many hands. Here is how the chain works and what we record.
From mine to rough dealer
Most Sri Lankan sapphire comes from alluvial gravels, mined in small pits and washed by hand in regions such as Ratnapura, Elahera and Okkampitiya.
Rough is sold to local dealers and trading centres, often through several hands before it is cut.
Cutting, heating and reports
Rough is cut in Sri Lanka or abroad. Many sapphires are heated to improve colour and clarity, which the trade accepts when it is disclosed.
Laboratories issue reports on origin and treatment, and those reports are what separate a claim from evidence.
Where the chain usually breaks
By the time a stone reaches a retailer, origin and treatment details are often passed on by word of mouth.
Here each supplier declares origin, treatment and certificate status in fixed fields, supplier reported and laboratory documented claims are kept apart, and every reservation and confirmation is recorded on the platform.
What this means for a retailer
You buy from a named, reviewed Sri Lankan supplier, you see what is claimed and what is documented, and you keep a dated record of when the stone was reserved and confirmed.