We arrived to parking lot and immidiately our "guide" arrived to help us and tell us about the "mine" and how they grow cinnamon. These guys are scammers! In India, the magical moonstone is believed to bring about sweet dreams and good fortune for those who wear it. Moonstone has been mined in these sweltering forests forever and the moonstone mines, little more than muddy rabbit holes, 6m or 7m long, are fascinating – as is the process of filtering out the precious stones and polishing them ready for sale. moonstone mines in sri lanka Sri Lanka is famous for its gems, one of which is the moonstone. Checking out the moonstone mine reviews though, there are several who have been pushed into buying moonstones at the mines and later have them identified as fake by jewelers at home. Show less . Like many gems found in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and Myanmar (formerly Burma), moonstone most often occurs as pebbles and irregular masses in gem-gravels and clay-deposits. Sri Lanka Destination Experts. The conditions would have been bad even in 1800's and its 2020. This sheen is usually white. Sri Lankan moonstones are of highest value due to their dark blue reflection. Antiperthite and anorthoclase may show schiller similar to moonstone and have been lumped together with true moonstone due to lack of a less generic name. Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Moonstone. After short mine presentation the guide took us to see their cinnamon operation and told how they are making spices. The area has been popular for moonstone mining where the mines are muddy holes, 6 meters or 7 meters long. Distance from Galle is 31 km and from Bentota 34 km. intelligent to realize, that this is only for tourists and they don't get some new stones out of the ground. In China, the moonstone is said to balance Yin and Yang. However, as others have said be careful of the shop. Moonstone has been mined in these sweltering forests forever and the moonstone mines, little more than muddy rabbit holes, 6m or 7m long, are fascinating – as is the process of filtering out the precious stones and polishing them ready for sale. After short walk to Cinnamon garden our. It's located in Sri Lanka. It’s famous for Sri Lankan largest Moonstone mines. Moonstone occurs in wide variety of colors such as white, gray, green, pink, blue, orange, yellow and brown. The bodies of the most precious moonstones are transparent. Historically, the most valuable moonstones with strong blue sheen are from Myanmar. Although sales of jewellery are the main purpose of it, a guided tour at the main mine in the adjacent village of Domanwila can be recommended, as you will not only be invited to the exhibition rooms. Public Domain. Moonstone Mine –Meetiyagoda is known for its valuable gems and moonstones. We told no but the guide insisted that we should buy as they were "top quality" etc. Meetiyagoda is situated 4km from Galle Road and 10 km north of Hikkaduwa. Meetiyagoda, also spelt „Mitiyagoda“, is situated in only 4 km distance from the ocean, 10 km north of Hikkaduwa. The gem industry's finest and most abundant moonstone sources are in Sri Lanka, India, and Myanmar. SAVE UP TO 75% OFF hotels near Attractions in Bentota. Hotels near (CMB) Bandaranayake Intl Airport, Adrenaline & Extreme Tours in Ambalangoda, Historical & Heritage Tours in Ambalangoda, Self-Guided Tours & Rentals in Ambalangoda, Canyoning & Rappelling Tours in Ambalangoda, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Ambalangoda, From snorkel to surfing—no expertise necessary, All ashore for easy trips straight from port, Flexible itineraries and personal experiences, Your ship’s come in for waterside trips and more. However, this adoration of this fascinating gemstone has led it to be exploited for illicit uses. "guide" ( very friendly ) began to tell about their operation and showed how they mine the moonstone. It’s famous for Sri Lankan largest Moonstone mines.
Attractions & Activities –
• Bentota River Boat Safari
• Turtle Conservation Project
• Tsunami Temple
• Herbal Garden (option)
• Wood Carving Centre & Gallery
• Moonstone Gem Mining Centre (option)
• Dutch Fort Galle
• Stilt Fishermen in Koggala
Key Details
• Tour Starts at 9.00 am from the pick-up point
• Pick up from anywhere from Bentota and its' surrounding. Moonstone Mine of Sri Lanka (GC253WF) was created by darth_maul_3 on 3/15/2010. But what's so highly estimated, is more the adularescence of moonstones than their colour. Natural Moonstone Mine Address: Kahawa- Batapola road, Meetiyagoda, Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka ; Natural Moonstone Mine Contact Number: 0094-777750187 ; Natural Moonstone Mine Timing: 08:00 am - 06:00 pm ; Try the best online travel planner to plan your travel … Sizes. The more blue the adularescence, the higher the value of a moonstone. So the end of the story, it's ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. Ambalangoda Tourism Ambalangoda Holiday Rentals Ambalangoda Packages Ambalangoda Pictures Ambalangoda Map Ambalangoda Guide All Ambalangoda Hotels Head inland 7km to Mitiyagoda and you can descend (not literally) into the mucky world of mining – 18th-century style! How are tourists impacted by Public Holidays; Show More . They considered it to be marterialized rays of the moon. Meetiyagoda is famous for its moonstone mines. Dont go to any moonstone mines and if u want jewellery, buy from big city stores. Galle Day Trip is one of the most popular outdoor activates for the travelers in Sri Lanka. Myanmar, formerly known as Birma, has by far the most moonstone mines. ... How to handle/exchange money in Sri Lanka? Moonstone Mine of Sri Lanka The moonstone is characterised by an enchanting play of light. The fanciful name „moonstone“ was coined by the Greek, who associated this rare shining stone with lunar deities such as Selene and Isis. I am not much into jewellery, but might have bought a trinket or two as a memory. We considered going to the mines for a look. EXPLOR NOW Innovative and Trendy Jewellery Just in Competitive prices while maintaining highest finishing and raw material quality. That was ok, even though the price was quite high for small amount of cinnamon. Our driver told us about this place and kept telling how awesome place this is. Was quite a nice tour to see the working mine shaft and learn a bit more above the gemstones and minerals of the area. The guides do not push you to give a tip. They valued moonstones as talismans for lovers in particular. They are situated in Pyin-Oo-Lwin District near Mandalay, at Mogok city, which is also famous for the world‘s best ruby stones. Moonstone mines are located in Ambalangoda (Meetiyagoda), Sri Lanka, LankaExplorer Holidays has included moonstone tour in several tour packages. It is such a shame that this so often feels like a hard sell and spoils what went before. Rings Forever Just in Leading jewelry inspirational design give both her roots and the beauty of the south SHOP NOW Best Collection Engagement Engagement & Wedding lightweight satin golden in mint off white featuring mock. After short walk to Cinnamon garden our "guide" (very friendly) began to tell about their operation and showed how they Meetiyagoda is situated 4km from Galle Road and 10 km north of Hikkaduwa. So good so far, but after that you see some old men climbing down into a big hole and an other one washing some stones, where 2 moonstine's are shining bright. Apart from the Alps, deposits of moonstone occur near Jelenia Gora in Poland, in the fiord region of Larvik in Norway, in Lemmenjoki National Park in Finland, at Lake Sevan in Armenia, in Kashi (Kashgar) Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomus Region in China, near Nanto city in Japan, in the Central Desert Region and in Blackbraes National Park in Australia, and in Chihuahua state in Mexico, in North Carolina and few other states of the USA. to get trip updates and message other travelers. Log in to get trip updates and message other travelers. Sri Lanka Moonstone is a fine-quality semi-precious gemstone sourced from the Meetiyagoda mines in Sri Lanka. It is 27m deep and have two horizontal tunnels inside. Our driver was visibly disappointed that we didnt buy. Discount hotels near Moonstone Mine, Bentota. Book online for instant Confirmation and 24/7 Live Support! The largest source is Africa, but almost all moonstones of African production are inferior due to a yellowish skin colour. After that we were taken to the shop right next to workshop. Thinner layers of alternating silicates refract more attractive sheens, whereas thick layers of silicates produce less colourful sheens. word ‘moonstone’ is a roughly translated word from the Sinhalese word ‘Sandakada Pahana We said that's not going to happen. Galle Day Trip is one of the most popular outdoor activates for the travelers in Sri Lanka. Moonstone Mine Sri Lanka Meetiyagoda Moonstone Mine. Checking out the moonstone mine reviews though, there are several who have been pushed into buying moonstones at the mines and later have them identified as fake by jewelers at home. Our Natural Moonstone Mine is located at Meetiyagoda –Southern Province Sri Lanka. The classic finding place in ancient Europe was the Swiss area of St. Gotthard, then known as Mount Adular. Ambalangoda.
• Drop off at the pick-up point or any place in between Galle and the pick-up point. First of all, you will see the pitch of the mine and the filtering out of the precious stones and the workshops of the lapidaries. The prices are extortionate and I'm not convinced of how genuine the stones are - even though you get a. certificate, is it worth the paper it's written on. Moonstone is rare in both large size and fine quality, but Indian material with strong body color is abundant and very inexpensive. We told that we didnt have money with us ( we had like 20$ left) - the guide told that our driver would come with us to hotel to get our credit card. Only a fraction of a percent of Indian moonstones rival the very best Sri Lankan ones. See all. In Arab countries, some women sewed moonstone into their undergarments, as symbols of fertility. Despite having a low hardness of 6 to 6.5, moonstone is a popular gemstone, as it is praised for the glow of inner light, which is called adularescence in gemology. The optical phenomenon of cloudy moonlight sheen is caused by light diffraction due to alternating layers of orthoclase and albite. Lanka Excursions Holidays office hours 8.00 to 9.30 p.m. daily (except from June Fullmoon Day), all rights reserved, © 2016 Lanka Excursion Holidays. It can be a deep flame blue in the case of Sri Lankan moonstones. Although sales of jewellery are the main purpose of it, a guided tour at the main mine in the adjacent village of Domanwila can be recommended, as you will not only be invited to the exhibition rooms. Moonstone was designated the emblem gemstone of State of Florida in 1970 to commemorate the moon landings, although it does not naturally occur in Florida. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Canada. 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