Ratnapura National Gem Authority lab: walk-in spectroscopic certification for unheated sapphires?
What is the morning queue protocol and testing timeline for private international buyers submitting loose faceted sapphires for NGJA FTIR heat-treatment testing at 9:45 AM?
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4 Answers from travellers
The National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA) regional laboratory in Ratnapura opens testing intake at 9:00 AM. International buyers submitting loose faceted corundum for authenticity and origin reports must present passport identification and complete stone intake memos. Gemmologists examine stones using immersion refractometry, Raman spectrometry, and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to check for the diagnostic 3309 cm-1 series absorption peaks that reveal low-temperature heat treatment. Express memo testing reports are returned within three to four hours, with formal laminated certification cards containing microscopic inclusion photographs issued the same afternoon.
Never leave gemstones at private testing shops lacking accredited NGJA government certification seals; unaccredited lab memos carry zero weight during international resale.
Stones submitted for export clearance can be weighed, sealed into official tamper-proof transparent pouches, and issued customs clearance documentation on site.
Testing fees range from Rs. 3,500 for a brief identification memo to Rs. 15,000 for full international origin and thermal enhancement analytical reports.
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