China Fort gem market

China Fort is a quarter of Beruwala, on Sri Lanka's south-west coast about an hour from Colombo. It has been a gem-trading place for generations and remains one of the island's main centres for cut stones, with dealers, cutters, heaters and testing services concentrated in a few streets.

What you find

Mainly cut and polished Sri Lankan stones, sapphire above all, along with spinel, chrysoberyl, garnet and moonstone. Where Ratnapura is about rough and mining, China Fort is where stones are finished, sorted and sold on to exporters and visiting buyers.

How trading works

Trading happens in dealers' shops and offices and in informal gatherings in the street, especially in the mornings. Buyers who come regularly work with a local broker who knows the dealers and arranges viewings. The organiser of the Gem Sri Lanka fair is based in the area.

Visiting and buying safely

• Buy from licensed dealers and keep receipts: exports of gems from Sri Lanka go through the National Gem and Jewellery Authority.
• Heated and untreated sapphire command different prices; ask for disclosure in writing and, for important stones, a laboratory report.
• Beach-resort shops nearby that sell to tourists are a different business from the trade market.