Bought a gemstone at a Ratnapura shop, $400 for a padparadscha. Verify?
3 Answers from travellers
YES verify. Padparadscha is a very specific type of sapphire (pink-orange color) and one of the most faked gems in Sri Lanka. Reputable dealer would have given you a NGJA (National Gem and Jewellery Authority) certificate. Take the stone to NGJA in Colombo (they do walk-in testing, ~2000 LKR, results same day). If the dealer refuses to give you a certificate before purchase, that itself was the warning sign. $400 for a REAL padparadscha would be a tiny stone or low quality - big/high-quality ones are $2000-20000+. Worth checking before flying out.
^ NGJA is the only trustworthy verification. Some hotels claim to have 'gemologists' - they're marketing. NGJA is government, unbiased. If it's fake, you have grounds to dispute the purchase before leaving the country (via police + tourism ministry if the shop refuses refund).
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