Gem town
Ilakaka
Ilakaka, Madagascar
Sapphire boom town since the 1998 discovery, where Sri Lankan, Thai and Malagasy buyers work from local offices. Much quieter today than in its boom years.
Ilakaka, in south-western Madagascar on the main road between Antananarivo and Toliara, grew from a village of a few dozen people into a crowded boom town after sapphire was found in the area in 1998. Tens of thousands of miners and traders arrived within months, and the deposit became one of the world's important sources of sapphire.
What you find
Rough sapphire in every colour, including blue, pink, orange and padparadscha-like colours, along with other gems from the surrounding deposits. Much of the material is heated before it reaches the market.
How trading works
Buyers from Sri Lanka and Thailand, along with Malagasy dealers, work from offices along the main road, where miners and middlemen bring their stones. Rough is then exported for heating and cutting, largely to Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Visiting safely
- Ilakaka is far quieter than in its boom years, but remains a frontier town; travel with trusted local contacts.
- Exporting gems from Madagascar requires official permits; work with licensed exporters.
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