Cold, smooth and glistening petrified moon rays, have you ever wondered from where do these mysterious moonstones come from? The large pegmatite vein of moonstone at Meetiyagoda, a charming little coastal village blessed by the moon being the birthplace of these beautiful semi-precious stones, there are many contemporary hotels from which you could explore the mines from which they are gleaned. AVANI Hotels & Resorts offers a wide variety of such upscale hotels which offer every comfort that the discerning traveller yearns for when indulging on an exotic vacation. Meetiyagoda boasts of many mines from which these gems are mined and visitors are offered comprehensive tours of the process of gleaning the high quality blue moonstones that Sri Lanka has always been known for. Shaft mining, locally known as’yati illama’ is the way that is used for mining rough moonstones. Narrow rectangular shafts lined with a strong frame of coconut wood beams make up these mines while an electric water pump is used to keep the bottom of the mines empty while the miners climb down to remove the gem bearing sludge that is found within these depths. Once here, the visitors can also see how stones are being cut and polished to perfection while a multitude of shops in the area will also offer them the chance to purchase one of these rare petrified moon rays and call is as their own.
Jayani Senanayake is a writer who dabbles in travel and all things exotic. Under the pseudonym of Calliope Sage, she writes of the allures that must simply be discovered. Google+