Sri Lanka - Private Ratnapura Gem Tour With Gem And Jewelry Expert

Mr. Shareed is very knowledgeable in his trade. He is a real successful gemstone dealer but still finds the time to take accommodate your need. This industry runs on trust and code of conduct. He would not push you into buying gemstones. This is a rare and unique combination. He can tailor to meet your requirement and I am sure he will meet if not surpass your expectation. I appreciate his hospitality and character. We had engaging conversation not only about gemstone but other topics as well. Strong recommendation.

We absolutely loved this experience! Visiting the gemstone mine and the gemstone market was truly fascinating. Our son had an amazing time and was so excited throughout the entire day. The staff were fantastic, friendly, and very knowledgeable, making the visit both fun and educational. It was an extraordinary day that we will always remember. We highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting the area!

This was one of the best experiences of our trip! Ahmed was incredibly knowledgeable, not only about gemmology and the mining industry, but also about the local culture, history, and traditions. He went above and beyond to answer all of our questions and made the entire experience both educational and enjoyable. We visited the mines, explored local markets, learned about gemstones firsthand, and enjoyed some absolutely amazing buffet meals along the way. Ahmed was friendly, professional, patient, and genuinely passionate about sharing his knowledge. If you’re interested in gems, local culture, or simply want a fantastic guide who takes great care of his guests, I cannot recommend Ahmed highly enough. We bought some amazing gems to take home. Thank you for such a memorable experience! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was the only tour I could find that had reviews and I could tell from the reviews Ahmed was going to have so much knowledge and experience in the industry so I was very drawn to doing this tour. It was exactly as I had hoped. Ahmed picked me up from my hotel lobby in his lovely car. As a solo female doing the tour I did feel nervous but Ahmed made me feel right at ease and he was so friendly and easy to talk to. He also asked what I was interested in so he could tailor the tour to what I wanted which was perfect as I got to see everything. Where they heat treat the gems, Ratnapura gem market, mining and polishing the gems, a sapphire mine and he took me for breakfast and lunch. We chatted about life for each of us in our home countries and it was so interesting getting to learn about each others cultures. We got back to Columbo earlier than expected and rather than just taking me back to my hotel Ahmed gave me a lovely tour of Colombo. I would recommend this tour to anyone. Even if you have little to no knowledge of gems. Ahmed has all the knowledge in the world on gems and Sri Lanka in general so you can learn so much.

Wow what an amazing tour. Ahmed is so knowledgeable about gems and answered all our questions. He also taught us about many other things too. He started by asking what we were most interested in to ensure he tailored the tour to our interests. He also brought colouring books and snacks for the children, age 6 and 10 - but to be honest we didn't need them because the tour was so interesting they were captivated by all that they were learning. The only downside is our daughter is now desperate for a sapphire! We would highly recommend this tour, we had no real prior knowledge of gems and have come away having learnt so much. There is no way we could have done any of it without such a fantastic guide. Thank you Ahmed.

An absolutely fantastic tour. Ahmed started the day by asking questions to tailor the tour to what I was looking for. He was very knowledgeable and answered all of my many questions about the gemstone trade in Sri Lanka but also about the country as a whole. The tips and tricks were invaluable for the remainder of my time in Ratnapura and he was also able to drop me off at my accommodation rather than take me back to Colombo. Would thoroughly recommend!

We had just completed a long safari tour of Sri Lanka, and due to my partners interest in gems, we took a chance and booked the Gem private tour with Ahmed on a whim. Ahmed picked us up from our hotel in Colombo and we got to know him not just as a professional gem seller, but also as a guide to the ever growing area of Sri Lanka. Ahmed shared well rounded information and history of the Sri Lankan gem market, how markets and gem sales operated in Ratnapura. Ahmed offered us the experience of sitting his own booth in the rush of the Ratnapura gem markets during our tour. And my partner was able to examine gemstones and discuss with Ahmed pricing on the spot with a large assortment of gem miners/sellers. It was an interesting and exciting experience, as we got to observe and view a wide variety of gemstones from across the country. There definitely is a lot to choose from, if you are after cut and faceted gemstones. Afterwards, Ahmed took us on a short drive by tour of the growing areas of business in the Colombo area, before we headed back to the hotel for a well earned rest. Overall, the inclusions were great, the travel time was very full on, but we were accommodated for well, and I believe it finished off a well rounded trip to Sri Lanka. We can't wait to come back, and try our luck with gemstones from this beautiful country again.

Crescent Gem Tours is simply excellent and beyond expectation. Ahmed is a wonderful tour guide and communicator. His knowledge of the gem industry and processes is vast. He is very well connected. He takes you right through the process but much more, he takes you into the heart of Sri Lanka and the gem industry. Including mining, processing and marketing. However in addition to this he is a wealth of knowledge on all things Sri Lankan including history, cultural, economical amongst others. If in Colombo this is a must do!

Great trip we took this Monday. Its a proper trip for someone who wants to learn about gemstone trade on the inside. It is about industry in whole and cultural traditions. Guide is super knowledgable and english speaking on a very good level. In addition breakfast and lunch was included and was very traditional and nice.

Ahmed picked us up at our prefered location in perfect time. Our tour lasted most of the day including a visit to the heating process, cutting and mines. He also brought us to the gem market in Radnapura, the gem city. He was very thorough in his explanations and gave us a lot of advice and best kept secrets of the gem industry in Sri Lanka. He never tried to push us to buy and as a professional gemmologist was very insightful. I totally recommend Ahmed and his tour, for the friendliness and attention to our comfort, for this field trip and gem hunting abilities. He is a totally professional and trustworthy guide, and we will be looking forward to work with him in the future as we are jewelry designers.

I had a great time on this tour! Ahmad was attentive and personalized the experience around my interests. He put in time before and after the tour to make ensure that all expectations were surpassed. It's clear he loves everything related to the Sri Lankan gem trade and is keen to share his knowledge with his guests. Thank you!

This tour was fantastic! Ahmed is so friendly and knowledgable and answered all our questions. It was really interesting to see how the gem industry works in Sri Lanka, from mining to cutting and selling. We would have been lost in Ratnapura without him!

Crescent Gems and Mr. Ahmed provided me and the family with an excellent Gen Tour. He was very kind and thoughtful towards the kids. Provided the kids with coloring books so they don’t get bored on the way to the tour. He provided a great explanation of how gems are formed, patiently explained the different gems and their properties. He took us to see some excellent gem related sites that I won’t spoil. The tour was informative and the kids loved it as well! We were over all very satisfied with the tour and Mr. Ahmed’s hospitality. A definite recommendation for anyone interested in seeing and learning about Srilanka’s gem history

He is very professional and knowledgable in the industry. Very patient and sincere with sharing all the information about gems from geology to market. Very calming and slow tour to let us explore and really learn something out of it. Unique experience to learn about srilanka gems

Ahmed is a knowledgable and kind host who personalised this tour to my liking. It was great to see the gem cutting and heating process in real life and also visit the mines. Highly recommended.

After going on 30+ cruises to 4 different continents I will happily say this was the best adventure from a cruise ship I have ever been on. Ahmed picked us up and dropped us off right at the port. The price included breakfast and lunch at delicious, clean, local restaurants selected by Ahmed. Our private tour felt like a backstage pass into the Sri Lanka gem industry. We were able to see every phase of the gem process, from the mine to the finished product, and Ahmed shared his expertise with us every step of the way. He showed us the Sri Lankan gem markets up close and explained the techniques the traders used and guided us on what to do and not to do. This is hands down the best way to get a glimpse into the gem industry. He patiently answered hundreds of questions from us throughout the day. Ahmed personalized everything for us. He learned what types of stones we were shopping for and used his expertise to help us secure them. I only bought the stones I wanted and did not feel pressured to spend more than I budgeted. He guarantees the stones are authentic and which eased my anxiety about making such a big purchase abroad. In addition to teaching us about gems we learned so much about Sri Lanka from Ahmed generally. He explained the local foods we were eating together at breakfast and lunch. He also added optional extra stops along the tour for king coconut, durian, and mangosteens. By the end of the tour, Ahmed was no longer just our tour guide, he became our friend. We are already looking at our calendars to see when we can come back to Sri Lanka and when we return we will hopefully be spending more time with our new friend Ahmed.

Had an excellent day with Ahmed. He went out of his way to make sure our experience was more than we expected and he succeeded. Highlights included local breakfast and lunch, mine tour, heat treating tour, and gem shopping. Ahmed not only fully explained the various stages of the process from ground to finished product in English but answered our never ending questions. My favorite part perhaps was our gem purchasing because Ahmed freely shared his extensive knowledge and experience relating to Sri Lankan gems.

If you can only book one tour about gem stone, Shreek is the best choice for sure, we are so happy with the whole experience, not only learned lots of the knowledge about the gem stone but also had the chance to see the mining and polishing process and so on. I really hope I can go back again!!!

This was a fascinating tour. We saw how gemstones are heat treated and how they are cut and polished. We visited gem mines. The real value of the tour, however, were the explanations and insights Ahmed provided. He is very knowledgeable about the gem world and explains things with clarity and humor. He is fluent in English. We highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in gems or interested in purchasing gems.

If your an expert or an absolute novice when it comes to gems (like myself) Amhed's experience he's created is incredible. He can fully tailor an experience to anyone's needs; for me and my partner, we wanted fairly chill- see the gem industry workings and buy a few small gems. Ahmed controlled the situation at all times and helped us make good informed decisions. It was an absolute pleasure and a highlight of the trip. Highly recommend.

We joined Ahmed for a 2 day gem safari and it was really great. Ahmed met us at the airport and took us for a wiz tour of Colombo as it was quite late. The next morning, we headed out bright and early towards Ratnapura, our ‘big’ destination point. As we drove, Ahmed assessed our interests and adapted the tour to meet our specific requirements. We stopped at a market selling rough gemstones but quickly moved on as the prices were very high. Getting to Ratnapura, we headed to the gem market. We were shown a very old faceting machine which was if interest to us, and a quick divert to the bridge to see the river and an amazing huge volume of fruit bats hanging from the trees. Then, with the skillful guidance of Ahmed, we were able to meet some of the traders and see their gemstones. Having Ahmed at our side, absolutely made all the difference to ensure we selected authentic gems. He was the conduit for both seller and buyer. It was an exciting day. The next day we visited another market selling rough gemstones. It was an absolute experience and exactly why we made this trip, although we didn’t buy anything, so it was just Look, See and Absorb. Whilst our trip was not for sight seeing and our needs very specific, I can also see how a 1 or 2 day trip with Ahmed would be really interesting for anyone interested in learning about the historical and current gem trade in SriLanka which is part of their heritage. For us and anyone in the gem industry, a trip with Ahmed as guide and facilitator is invaluable and his passion for gemstones and showing Sri Lanka is authentic.

In March 2026, we were in Ratnapura with a very experienced gem expert from Crescent Gem Tours for 2 days. We visited various mines and could observe the miners at work. In Ratnapura we visited the gem market in the morning. We also visited various gemstone cutters and could experience the traditional "heating" of the sapphires. Our guide was extraordinarily friendly and helpful. As an expert, he advised us very well on the purchase of rough stones and cut stones and supported us in the sales negotiations with the local dealers. Also the visit of a tea factory directly in Ratnapura was very worthwhile In these 2 days we were able to experience Ratnapura. Our trip was a great experience and we will be back! Big thanks to Ahmed from Crescent Gem Tours!!