The Future of Ceylon Sapphires: Dr Gamini Zoysa on FACETS, Gemstones and Sri Lanka's Gem Industry
Sri Lanka has been associated with exceptional gemstones for centuries. Known historically as the “Island of Gems”, the country remains one of the world's most important sources of natural coloured gemstones, particularly the famous Ceylon sapphire.
But the future of the gemstone industry cannot simply be about preserving the past. It must also embrace changing markets, new technology, evolving consumer expectations and a growing appreciation for provenance and authenticity.
These were among the themes explored by Dr Gamini Zoysa during a recent interview with Mr Umesh Wariyapperuma of the Ceylon Academy of Gemmological Science (CAGS), recorded during his attendance at FACETS Sri Lanka 2026.
Watch Dr Gamini Zoysa's interview on The Future of Gems
For Dr Zoysa, who has spent more than five decades working with gemstones, FACETS represents much more than an opportunity to view beautiful stones. It is a meeting point for the people, knowledge and expertise that continue to shape Sri Lanka's position in the international gem trade.
What is FACETS Sri Lanka?
FACETS Sri Lanka is one of the country's most important international gem and jewellery events. The 2026 edition took place in Colombo from 3–5 January at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, bringing together gemstone dealers, miners, cutters, jewellers, manufacturers, collectors and international buyers.
Now established as a major fixture in the international gemstone calendar, FACETS provides a platform for Sri Lankan gemstones to reach a global audience.
The event is also about relationships and knowledge. For an industry built around expertise and trust, opportunities to meet fellow professionals, examine gemstones in person and discuss developments within the trade remain enormously important.
FACETS 2026 placed particular emphasis on connecting Sri Lanka's long gemstone heritage with the future of the industry, bringing together traditional expertise and a more modern international marketplace.
For professionals such as Dr Zoysa, that makes attending the event particularly valuable.
Why FACETS Matters to the Ceylon Sapphire Industry
Sri Lanka's reputation for sapphires is not a recent phenomenon.
The island has been producing and trading gemstones for centuries, with sapphires becoming particularly important to its international reputation. Today, Ceylon sapphire remains one of the most recognised names in the world of coloured gemstones.
Yet a gemstone industry cannot stand still.
The global market is changing. Buyers are becoming more interested in where their gemstones come from, how they were mined, whether they have been treated and who is behind the stone. At the same time, advances in gemmological testing are making it increasingly possible to understand and document the characteristics of natural gemstones.
Events such as FACETS bring these conversations together.
For those involved in Ceylon sapphire, maintaining a direct connection with the Sri Lankan trade is an important part of understanding not only what is happening today, but where the industry may be heading tomorrow.
Dr Gamini Zoysa: A Lifetime in Gemstones
Dr Gamini Zoysa has spent more than 50 years immersed in the world of gemstones.
His career has taken him through virtually every aspect of the industry, from gemmology and education to gemstone trading and the international promotion of Sri Lanka's precious stones.
He is a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A), a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and has held senior positions within the Gemmologists Association of Sri Lanka.
His experience gives him a perspective that extends beyond the beauty of an individual gemstone.
For Dr Zoysa, understanding a sapphire means understanding the wider story behind it — its geology, its origin, the people involved in bringing it from the ground to the market, and the expertise required to assess it.
That perspective is particularly relevant at a time when consumers are becoming increasingly interested in the story behind the gemstones they buy.
What Makes a Ceylon Sapphire Special?
The term Ceylon Sapphire refers to sapphires originating from Sri Lanka, the country historically known as Ceylon.
Sri Lanka is particularly famous for its blue sapphires, but the island produces an extraordinary range of colours. Alongside classic blue stones, Sri Lankan deposits are known for pink, yellow, green, violet and colour-changing sapphires, as well as the highly sought-after padparadscha sapphire.
Colour, however, is only one part of the story.
A natural sapphire is the result of a combination of geological conditions that have developed over immense periods of time. Each stone has its own combination of colour, clarity, inclusions, crystal structure, size and origin.
This individuality is one of the reasons natural Ceylon sapphires remain so compelling.
Unlike a manufactured gemstone, a natural sapphire is not produced to a specification. Nature creates the material first, and the cutter must work with what the earth has provided.
That makes every exceptional Ceylon sapphire inherently individual.
The Importance of Natural Gemstones
One of the most interesting developments in the modern gemstone market is the increasing importance of authenticity.
Consumers today can buy synthetic gemstones, laboratory-grown diamonds and highly treated natural stones alongside untreated natural gems. None of these categories is necessarily interchangeable, and understanding the distinction is an important part of buying a precious gemstone.
A natural Ceylon sapphire has a geological history that cannot be replicated.
It has formed naturally within the earth, been recovered through mining and subsequently cut and polished to reveal its characteristics.
For buyers interested in rarity and provenance, this history is part of the value.
This is particularly true of unheated Ceylon sapphires.
Heating is an accepted treatment within the sapphire industry and can improve the colour and clarity of many stones. However, a natural sapphire that has not undergone heat treatment can command particular interest because its appearance has been achieved without this form of enhancement.
For collectors and buyers who value rarity, an unheated Ceylon sapphire can therefore offer something especially distinctive.
Looking Beyond the Stone
One of the themes that runs through discussions about the future of gemstones is that the industry cannot be separated from the people behind it.
A sapphire does not simply appear in a jewellery case.
There is a journey from the geological formation of the stone, through mining and recovery, sorting, cutting and polishing, gemmological examination and ultimately its sale to a buyer.
Sri Lanka's traditional gem industry has developed through generations of knowledge.
Miners understand the land. Dealers learn to assess rough material. Cutters understand how to work with individual crystals. Gemmologists examine the characteristics of finished stones. Jewellers transform those gemstones into pieces that can be worn and passed down through generations.
FACETS brings many of these parts of the industry together.
That human connection is one reason why events like FACETS remain important even as technology continues to change the gemstone trade.
How Technology Is Changing the Gem Industry
Modern gemmology is very different from the industry of previous generations.
Sophisticated laboratories and analytical techniques can provide increasingly detailed information about gemstones, helping professionals identify treatments, distinguish natural stones from synthetic material and investigate geographical origin.
This technology is particularly valuable in a market where provenance and authenticity are increasingly important.
But technology does not replace experience.
The most valuable approach combines modern scientific analysis with generations of practical knowledge.
For a gemstone expert, understanding what a laboratory report says is one part of the process. Knowing how to examine a stone, recognise its characteristics and place it within the broader context of the Sri Lankan gemstone trade remains equally important.
The future of gemmology is therefore unlikely to be a choice between tradition and technology.
It will be about bringing the two together.
What Does the Future Hold for Ceylon Sapphires?
The future of Ceylon sapphire looks closely connected to the changing expectations of the modern luxury consumer.
Today's buyers increasingly want more than an attractive gemstone. They want to understand what they are buying.
Where did it come from?
Is it natural?
Has it been treated?
What makes it rare?
Who selected it?
Can its origin be established?
And, perhaps most importantly, does the gemstone have a story?
These questions are particularly relevant to coloured gemstones because no two natural sapphires are exactly alike.
As consumers become more educated, the role of specialist gemstone companies becomes increasingly important. Rather than simply selling a stone, the best specialists can help buyers understand what makes an individual sapphire unusual and why its characteristics matter.
For Ceylon sapphires, this means telling the story of Sri Lanka as well as the story of the individual gemstone.
Why Buying from People with Local Expertise Matters
For anyone considering a Ceylon sapphire, expertise at the point of purchase can be extremely valuable.
Sri Lanka has a deep and complex gemstone industry, and understanding the difference between stones requires knowledge developed over years rather than simply an ability to recognise colour.
This is one reason Roughcut Ceylon maintains a close connection with Sri Lanka.
With operations in both London and Colombo, Roughcut Ceylon Sapphire Co. combines access to the Sri Lankan gemstone industry with an understanding of the needs of international buyers.
Our approach is centred on natural sapphires and, in particular, exceptional Ceylon sapphires selected for their individual qualities.
Dr Zoysa's continued involvement in events such as FACETS is part of that same philosophy: staying connected to the people, knowledge and developments shaping the gemstone industry.
Preserving the Heritage While Looking to the Future
Sri Lanka's gemstone industry has an extraordinary heritage.
But preserving that heritage does not mean keeping the industry unchanged.
The future will require the knowledge of traditional gem traders and cutters alongside modern gemmological science. It will require responsible sourcing, greater transparency and continued investment in the skills that have made Sri Lanka famous for its gemstones.
It will also require the industry to communicate its story to a new generation of buyers.
FACETS provides an important platform for that conversation.
As Dr Zoysa discussed during his interview with the Ceylon Academy of Gemmological Science, the world of gemstones continues to evolve. The stones themselves may be ancient, but the way we discover, understand, trade and appreciate them continues to change.
For Ceylon sapphire, that combination of heritage and evolution may ultimately be its greatest strength.
A Future Built on Knowledge
The fascination with gemstones has endured for thousands of years because they represent something that is difficult to manufacture: natural rarity.
A Ceylon sapphire is a product of geological time, but its journey does not end when it is discovered.
It passes through the hands of miners, dealers, gemmologists, cutters and jewellers before eventually becoming part of someone's story.
That is why events such as FACETS matter.
They bring together the people who understand that story and provide an opportunity for the industry to look not only at where it has come from, but where it is going.
For those of us who work with Ceylon sapphires, that connection to both the past and the future remains fundamental.
Sri Lanka's gemstones have been treasured for centuries.
The challenge now is to ensure that the knowledge, integrity and craftsmanship behind them continue for generations to come.
Watch the Interview
Dr Gamini Zoysa was interviewed by the Ceylon Academy of Gemmological Science during FACETS Sri Lanka 2026, discussing the importance of the event, gemstones and the future of the industry.
Watch the full interview on YouTube
Frequently Asked Questions
What is FACETS Sri Lanka?
FACETS Sri Lanka is an international gem and jewellery exhibition held in Colombo, bringing together gemstone professionals, traders, jewellers, collectors and international buyers. The 2026 edition took place from 3–5 January.
Why is FACETS important to the gemstone industry?
FACETS provides an important meeting point for Sri Lanka's gemstone industry and international buyers. It facilitates trade, networking, knowledge sharing and the promotion of Sri Lankan gemstones to the global market.
What is a Ceylon sapphire?
A Ceylon sapphire is a natural sapphire originating from Sri Lanka, the country historically known as Ceylon. Sri Lankan sapphires are particularly renowned for their range of colours, including blue and padparadscha.
Are Ceylon sapphires natural?
Ceylon sapphire describes the geographical origin of a sapphire rather than whether it has been treated. Natural Ceylon sapphires can be heated or unheated, so buyers should always establish whether a particular stone has undergone treatment.
What is an unheated Ceylon sapphire?
An unheated Ceylon sapphire is a natural Sri Lankan sapphire that has not undergone heat treatment to alter its colour or clarity. Unheated stones can be particularly desirable when they possess exceptional colour and clarity naturally.
Why is Sri Lanka famous for gemstones?
Sri Lanka has a long history of gemstone mining and is renowned internationally for its sapphires and wide variety of coloured gemstones. The island has been associated with gemstone trading for centuries and remains an important source of natural coloured stones.
What is the future of natural sapphires?
Natural sapphires are likely to benefit from increasing consumer interest in provenance, authenticity, individuality and rarity. As buyers become more knowledgeable, understanding the origin and treatment of a gemstone is becoming an increasingly important part of the purchasing process.