Inside Sri Lanka’s Deadly Underground Mines Filled With Rare Jewels | Risky Business | Insider

Narrator: These wells in Sri Lanka contain some of the most valuable gemstones in the world. And miners risk their lives by entering deep tunnels that could suddenly collapse. Only the trunks and leaves support them. But sand and water constantly seep in. Narrator: Samaranayakege Telakaratna has been mining gems for almost 50 years. Today he looks for anything from blue sapphires to rubies, garnets and topazes. Narrator: Sri Lanka's gemstone industry is almost 2,500 years old. And artisans use ancient techniques to refine stones that sell for millions of dollars. But miners sometimes earn next to nothing, making survival difficult in a country that recently endured the worst economic crisis in its history.

We travel to Ratnapura, the island's gemstone capital, to find out how an industry worth millions of dollars began and whether the risk taken by

underground

miners is really worth it. Samaranayakege has lived his entire life in Ratnapura, which translates to "the city of gems." Narrator: His morning ritual includes preparing betel leaves and tobacco. Workers chew this stimulant throughout the day for energy. The well is 40 feet deep. Narrator: The nearby river often leaks, dumping sand, dirt, and water into the tunnels. Some

underground

mines

are even deeper than the water table. That's why workers need to constantly run a pump to drain the well.

But cloudy water often spills onto surrounding land and could make it unsuitable for agriculture. This video was filmed during a particularly intense rainy season. That's why the tunnels are even more flooded than usual, and that can cause them to collapse. In 2015, four people died in Ratnapura when a mine collapsed. Narrator: To reinforce the shaft, the miners use trunks from local rubber trees. They shed bark, which can trap moisture and cause the wood to rot easily. They then collect a local fern called kekilla. Narrator: There are around 6,000 active

mines

in Sri Lanka. They are all privately owned, but require licenses from the National Gem and Jewelry Authority.

And it can take more than a year to remove all the gems from a single pit. Today there are about 11 people crowded here. The lack of oxygen makes breathing difficult, so they use air pumps to ventilate the tunnel through these tubes. Gases such as methane are also produced naturally here. Years of experience have taught them to guess the direction of deposits. Narrator: Workers pack the gravel into bags that can weigh up to 45 pounds. Narrator: They rinse the gravel in a nearby stream to remove the mud and sand. Narrator: But most stones are worthless. On average, miners like Samaranayakege earn a basic salary of Rs 1,200 per week.

That's about $3, and in Sri Lanka, it's enough to buy about a gallon of milk. But when they find a precious stone, they give it to the mine owners, who sell it to middlemen. Narrator: Ratnapura is full of precious stones due to the geological base of the area. The underground rocks here are subject to high levels of heat and pressure. That changes their chemical and physical composition, often creating gemstones. Heavy rain, landslides, and rivers can move these deposits and carry them downstream. That is why miners also look for stones in Kalu Ganga. They create a scaffold and dive to the bottom to dig them out.

Or they use leaves attached to wooden poles called mamotyes. This can cause extensive damage to river beds. That's why mines like these are more regulated by the country's gem authority. But experts say underground wells are also harmful. Miners remove native vegetation when clearing land and some pits are not re

filled

after mining is complete, causing accidents. The industry as a whole employs almost 100,000 Sri Lankans. The stones are sold in wholesale markets like this one in Ratnapura. Chaminda Athuraliyagamage's workshop has existed since 2002. Workers cut the gems with a machine called hana pooruwa. Narrator: The smaller pieces are then shaped and polished into individual gems.

A one-carat blue sapphire from Sri Lanka can cost between $450 and $1,600, depending on the four Cs: color, cut, clarity, and carat or weight. The world's largest star sapphire was found in Ratnapura in 2016. It is called Adam's Star and is worth $300 million. While global demand is growing, gems are still refined in traditional ways. At this workshop in Ratnapura, Sunil uses a centuries-old technique to enhance the color of gems. He places them over hot coals at a temperature of up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. He then blows on the coals for several hours, which alters the color and clarity. Artisans say this method has been used for more than 1,500 years.

But Sri Lanka's gem mining industry is much older. Jewels adorned the thrones of Sri Lankan royalty since 540 BC. The island's kings often sent gems to foreign lands to establish trade and relationships. The Venetian explorer Marco Polo even mentioned the gems in his diaries. But a political and economic crisis has put this historic gem industry at risk. Hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans participated in widespread protests last year and toppled President Gotabaya Rajapaska. They blamed the government for high inflation as food and fuel prices soared. And that directly affected the miners. Narrator: Samaranayakege's wife, Piyaseeli Ihalage, says her family had a hard time making ends meet.

Narrator: But no matter the circumstances, Piyaseeli says work is always unpredictable. Sometimes miners can go weeks without finding a valuable gem. And although Samaranayakege has been doing this for decades, he wants a different path for his only son.