Moonstone Mine

We visited a Moonstone mine & factory in Meetiyagodo A moonstone is grey in colour and feels cool and smooth to the touch. When polished it has a glow like of the moon. Have you ever wondered where that pretty little moonstone on your finger actually comes from? Moonstone’s are in the semi-precious category and are an important component of the Sri Lankan gem industry. The finest are bluish in colour and are found in high concentrations in heading inland 7km to Mitiyagoda, between Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa, where we stayed. 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, cutting them up and polishing them up ready for sale. At the Moonstone Factory we saw into a narrow shaft where the stones are mined. I bought one for my necklace.