Rathnapura's abundant gem-bearing deposits make it a must-see location on your Sri Lanka vacation itinerary. The Sinhala name is descriptive, literally meaning "Gem City." The flood plains and surrounding mountain ranges have provided an endless supply of white, yellow, pink, orange, purple, and blue star sapphires. This repository houses the legendary Blue Belle, which adorns the British Crown, as well as the star sapphire aptly named Star of India, which is on display at the Museum of Natural History in New York.The location was also known to wise King Solomon, who sent scouts to Sri Lanka to find sapphires for Queen Sheba. Seventeen of the world's largest blue sapphires were discovered in Sri Lanka's Gem City. The Star of India, Blue Giant of the Orient, Queen Mary of Romania, Logan Saphire, Blue Belle of Asia, Catherine the Great's Sapphire, and three J.P.Morgan sapphires are among them. They can be found in museums and collections ranging from the Smithsonian to the Moscow State Diamond Fund. Rubies, garnets, zircons, spinel, alexandrite, and citrine are also mined in Sri Lanka.

A visit to a gem mine can be a thrilling and exciting experience during your Sri Lanka vacation. The grit and determination on the miners' rugged faces is inspiring. The hope in their eyes is as bright as the luster of the sapphires and rubies they seek in 20m-deep gem pits. The city center is an intriguing scene of calibrated chaos, with traders buying and selling uncut stones. A glimpse of this scene will undoubtedly enhance your all-inclusive Sri Lanka experience.

Ratnapura has several places of interest for visitors, including the Pothgul Vihare temple with its intricate cave paintings and statue of the Reclining Buddha, which can be reached by climbing 450 steep steps. The Gemological Museum, a privately owned museum, offers exhibits and information on the different types of stones found in Sri Lanka. Additionally, the Ratnapura Gem Bureau and Museum serves as another center for the study of precious and semi-precious stones of Sri Lanka. Indeed a place of fascination and wonder, pay a visit to the Gem City and discover a treasure trove from the accessible and familiar to the extravagant and exotic.