Buying Ceylon Sapphires in Galle Fort?
I want to buy a blue sapphire ring. There are dozens of gem shops in Galle Fort. How do I not get ripped off?
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5 Answers from travellers
Galle Fort is beautiful but it is the most expensive place in the country to buy gems due to tourist markups. If you must buy there, only go to reputable shops like "Lihiniya Gems" or "MM Gems". Ask to see the National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA) certificate.
If you have time, take the train to Ratnapura (City of Gems) instead. You can buy directly from the dealers near the mines for half the price of Galle Fort.
I will stick to Lihiniya Gems and ask for the NGJA certificate. Thank you for the detailed advice.
A true, unheated Ceylon Blue Sapphire is very expensive. Beware of synthetic stones or heavily heat-treated glass. If a deal seems too good to be true, it is fake.
You must haggle. The starting price in a Galle Fort boutique is usually inflated by 40-50%.
Scam Watch: galle
Someone befriends you and offers a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to buy gems at wholesale prices and resell them abroad for huge profit. They may show you fake export certificates. The gems are worthless glass or low-quality stones.
Restaurants without visible prices. Bill arrives with inflated charges (500 LKR coconut becomes 1500 LKR). "Service charges" added without disclosure.
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