Black beauty - or, rare black gemstones unearthed from mines
The Fortune Discarded as Worthless Black Stones!
When swirling a gem washboard (Gärum Wattiya) in a gemstone mine, our eyes naturally search for a gleaming ruby, a blue sapphire, or a clear white crystal. We often look with disdain at the dark, pitch-black pebbles left at the bottom of the basket. How many times have we thought, "Oh, this is useless, it’s completely black"? Labeling it as "Kalu Katta" (worthless black stone), we don't think twice before throwing that black pebble over the basket into the river or onto the gravel heap at the mine's mouth.
But my friend, did you stop to think for a moment that what you just threw away could be a massive fortune that could change your entire life?
The Wondrous Creation of Nature Behind the Color Black
Even if we don't realize it, nature has crafted a breathtaking beauty inside the color black. In the gemstone world, this is referred to as "Black Beauty."
Even diamonds, one of the world's most precious gemstones, have an extremely expensive and rare variety known as the "Black Diamond." Hidden within Sri Lanka's gem-bearing gravels (Illam) are numerous valuable black gemstone varieties that go unnoticed by the majority simply due to a lack of awareness.
What could those "black stones" caught in your washboard—which you might have thrown into the trash—actually be? Here is the secret of the black gemstones found in Sri Lanka:
List of Valuable Black Gemstones Remaining in the "garum wattiya":
Among the more than 75 distinct varieties of minerals and gemstones found in Sri Lankan soil, several unique black varieties exist.
Collection of Black Gemstones and Minerals Found in Sri Lanka:
• Black Sapphire:
A valuable black gemstone belonging to the Corundum family. This also includes Black Star Sapphires, which exhibit a star effect on their surface.
• Black Tourmaline (Schorl):
A highly lustrous, opaque, pitch-black mineral commonly found in mines.
• Black Spinel:
The black variety of the Spinel family. After cutting, it displays a very high brilliance similar to a diamond, which is why it is used as a substitute for black diamonds.
• Serendibite:
First discovered in Sri Lanka, this is an extremely rare and expensive gemstone in the world, appearing in deep green-black or solid black colors.
• Black Zircon:
A natural black gemstone variety belonging to the Zircon family, characterized by its high density and weight.
• Black Garnet (Melanite):
A dark black or gray-black variety belonging to the Garnet family.
• Black Sillimanite (Fibrolite):
The black variety of the Sillimanite mineral. When cut, some of these stones display a light reflection line resembling a Cat's Eye.
• Black Kornerupine:
A rare gemstone found in Sri Lanka, which is dark green or brown. Due to its extremely dark coloration, it appears black at first glance.
• Black Star Diopside:
When cut, this stone found in Sri Lanka reveals a 4-ray white star pattern on its surface.
• Ceylonite (Pleonaste):
A dark iron-black variety belonging to the black spinel group, specifically named in gemology because it is commonly found in Sri Lanka.
• Smoky Quartz (Morion):
A dark brown or almost entirely black variety belonging to the Quartz crystal family.
• Black Taaffeite:
An extremely rare dark purple-black or gray-black variety of Taaffeite, which is one of the rarest gemstones in the world, occasionally found in Sri Lanka.
• Black Anatase:
A mineral containing titanium dioxide, found as small crystals in Sri Lankan gem gravels. It displays a metallic luster when cut.
• Black Ilmenite:
A heavy, iron-black mineral commonly found as "black sand" along Sri Lanka's coastal beaches as well as at the bottom of gem mines.
• Black Allanite:
A dark pitch-black mineral containing rare earth elements, found associated with pegmatite rocks in Sri Lanka.
• Black Enstatite:
A rare gemstone with limited distribution. Some dark varieties found in Sri Lanka appear black to the naked eye and show asterism (star effects) under light.
• Black Rutile:
A dark red-black or completely black mineral. In some instances, this can be seen as needle-like inclusions inside quartz stones.
• Black Axinite:
A rare gemstone occasionally found in mines. Its extremely dark brown varieties appear completely black at first glance.
• Black Ekanite:
A special gemstone first discovered in the Eheliyagoda area. Dark green-black varieties are found, and it is a slightly radioactive mineral.
• Black Hypersthene:
A unique gemstone that displays a metallic nature and velvet black color when cut, emitting a distinct silver-black sheen.
• Black Sphene (Titanite):
Dark black or deep brown varieties with a high iron content are found in Sri Lanka. It displays a very high dispersion ("fire") after cutting.
• Black Cassiterite:
The main mineral of tin metal, whose gem-quality dark black crystals are very rarely found in Sri Lankan gem gravels.
• Black Scapolite:
Dark gray-black or dark purple-black varieties can be seen. Some black stones display a Cat's Eye line when cut.
• Black Samarskite:
A pitch-black mineral with a metallic luster containing uranium and other rare elements, found in Sri Lankan pegmatite rocks.
• Black Thorianite:
First discovered in Sri Lanka, this is a mineral rich in thorium and uranium. It is found as small black cubic crystals in gem-washing gravels.
• Black Magnetite:
A dark iron-black mineral possessing natural magnetic properties.
• Black Chromite:
A dark black or metallic gray mineral that remains as small grains within Sri Lanka's gem-bearing sedimentary deposits.
• Black Moonstone:
The Meetiyagoda area in Sri Lanka is world-famous for moonstones. This is a variety found there that exhibits a unique play of light (adularescence) against a dark gray or black background.
• Black Topaz:
Natural stones leaning toward a dark/black hue are very rarely seen among the topaz gemstones found in Sri Lanka.
• Black Agate (Onyx):
An opaque, solid black gemstone used in jewelry, found among sedimentary rocks in certain areas of Sri Lanka.
Aside from these, many more varieties remain hidden beneath our soil.
Think about it at least now...!
Next time you hold a black stone in your hand, don't throw it back into the river thinking it's just a "Kalu Katta." What a waste it is to hold good fortune in your hand and throw it into the trash or river due to ignorance!
Beauty does not belong exclusively to red, blue, or yellow colors. Nature has hidden immense value and mysterious beauty even inside the color black. Therefore, from now on, look more closely at the "Black Beauty" stones left at the bottom of the gem garum wattiya. Verify its identity through a recognized Gem Certificate.
Let us be mindful from now on, friend, rather than kicking away good fortune due to ignorance!
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