Editing Economy of Sri Lanka (section)

=== Mining ===
{{Main|Gems of Sri Lanka}}
Sri Lanka is known for producing a variety of gemstones, including [[chrysoberyl]], [[corundum]], [[garnet]], [[ruby]], [[spinel]], and [[tourmaline]], and is the leading producer of the [[Sapphire|Ceylon Blue sapphire]]. Ceylon sapphires are among the most desirable in the gemstone market and can regularly fetch thousands per carat. Contrary to popular belief Ceylon produces sapphires of all colours,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sapphires and its Variety of Colours {{!}} Ceylons Munich |url=https://www.ceylons.de/sapphires-in-all-colours-of-a-rainbow |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=www.ceylons.de |language=en}}</ref> including padparascha types, though blue is the most desirable and yields the highest prices. Some of the world's largest sapphires, such as the [[Logan Sapphire]] and Blue Belle of Asia, have come from Sri Lanka.

The best-known areas for gemstone mining in Sri Lanka were Balangoda, Elahera, Kamburupitiya, Moneragala, Okkampitiya, and Ratnapura. In addition, Sri Lanka has a variety of industrial minerals, which include [[ball clay]], [[Kaolinite|kaolin]], and other [[clay]]s, [[calcite]], [[Dolomite (mineral)|dolomite]], [[feldspar]], [[graphite]], [[limestone]], [[Ilmenite]], [[mica]], [[rutile]] [[Heavy mineral sands ore deposits|mineral sands]], [[Phosphorite|phosphate rock]], [[quartz]], [[zircon]], [[Dolomite (mineral)|dolomite]] and silica sand. Pulmoddai beach sand deposit is the most important non-ferrous mineral reserve in Sri Lanka as well as one of the world's most richest mineral sand deposits with heavy mineral concentrates of 50% to 60% and contains many minerals including [[titanium]].<ref name="2014 Minerals Yearbook- Sri Lanka">{{Cite web|url=https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2014/myb3-2014-ce.pdf|title=2014 Minerals Yearbook- Sri Lanka |publisher=United States Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2011/myb3-2011-ce.pdf|title=2011 Minerals Yearbook- Sri Lanka|publisher=USGS }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.srilankabusiness.com/ceramic-and-porcelain/industrial-minerals-in-sri-lanka.html|title=Industrial Mineral Resources in Sri Lanka{{!}}Manufacturing of Industrial Minerals|publisher=Sri Lanka Business |access-date=6 May 2018}}</ref>

Sri Lanka is famous, especially for its highly valued and high-purity vein graphite. As of 2014, graphite was produced at the two largest graphite mines in Sri Lanka, the Bogala and the Kahatagaha Mines. Major investors in graphite mining are Graphite Lanka Ltd., Bogala Graphite Lanka Plc, Bora Bora Resources Ltd. (BBR) of Australia, MRL Corp. Ltd. of Australia, and Saint Jean Carbon Inc. of Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2013/myb3-2013-ce.pdf|title=2013 Minerals Yearbook- Sri Lanka|publisher=USGS }}</ref><ref name="2014 Minerals Yearbook- Sri Lanka" />