Our house
A small house, in the city the gems come from
We are based in Ratnapura, in Sri Lanka’s Sabaragamuwa province — the centre of the island’s gem trade for as long as there has been one. We buy from the miners and cutters we know, and we sell to the people who will actually wear and set the stones.
How we work
There are usually four or five parties between a Sri Lankan mine and a retail display case, and each one takes a margin. We have removed most of them. What that buys you is not just a lower price — it is a straight answer, from someone who handled the stone.
Every lot on this site is an individual stone. We photograph each one ourselves, in daylight and under tweezers, and we describe what we see rather than what would sell best. When a stone’s colour is soft, we say soft. When a stone has visible inclusions, we say so and explain what they mean. We would rather lose a sale than have a stone come back.
24
Stones currently held
9
Never heated
12/24
Photographed in studio
What we commit to
Full treatment disclosure, always
Heated or unheated is stated on every lot, in three places, in writing. We will never describe a heated stone as natural, and we will never let the word "natural" do ambiguous work.
Independent certification before you pay
For any stone, we will arrange a report from a recognised laboratory — including one you choose — before money changes hands. If a report contradicts what we told you, the sale is off and you owe us nothing.
We describe stones honestly
Including their weaknesses. Several descriptions on this site tell you plainly that another lot would suit you better. That is deliberate.
Seven days to change your mind
From the day a stone reaches you. Returned in the condition it was sent, we refund in full — the stone, not the shipping.
Insured, tracked, worldwide
Every stone ships fully insured for its full value, with tracking, and is signed for on arrival.
Come and see
If you are in Sri Lanka, you are welcome to see any of these stones in person, by appointment. Daylight in Ratnapura is the light they were judged in.