PASSION AND PERSEVERANCE
The story of Rohan Sapphires begins with Rohan, a young boy who lived in the mining region of Ratnapura. Even though his parents had no affiliation to the mines and did not wish for their son to have any part in the industry, living in a mining region, the mining life was inescapable. Rohan would pass by mines on his way to and from school, every day. He was fascinated by the process of mining, the longstanding traditions and the thrill of discovery. He would often stop by the mines, exploring their recesses and talking to the workers.
So Rohan collected every cent of his allowance, foregoing candy and cinema tickets, to save up, buy small gemstones from the miners and then sell them at the gem bazaar held in town. At the age of 18, Rohan, with the total of his savings, bought a little mine and just two days later made his first big find: a perfect Ceylon sapphire weighing an astounding 80 carats. Today, Rohan runs Rohan Sapphires alongside his wife, Vidarshi who hails from the banking and finance industry but also grew up in Ratnapura. Together, they pursue an ambitious goal, to create an example of a self-owned, sustainable model of success.
Beginnings
Rohan Sapphires opens its first mine and in just two days make their first significant discovery — a perfect 80 carat Ceylon sapphire .
2005
Rohan Sapphires makes its first foray into value addition , extending from merely selling rough Ceylon gemstones.
Diversification
Rohan Sapphires opens its first owned office , a modern building in Ratnapura.
Embellishment
Rohan Sapphires augments its lapidary services with a fully-fledged, state-of-the-art lapidary .
2020
Rohan Sapphires expands , opening a branch office in the gem-market town of Beruwela.
RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
At Rohan Gems, our passion for sustainability filters through everything we do. We operate with great respect, for the people that work in our mines and our lapidary, the communities that we function in, the economy of our nation and the natural world that sustains us all.
Every day, with every action, we uphold our commitment to running a responsible business, one that involves mining ethically, sourcing responsibly, ensuring fair pay and decent work, empowering female employees, sustaining our communities and nation’s economy, while assuring quality, artistry and design.
Firmly rooted in the heritage, culture and traditions of gems and mining in Sri Lanka, we function on a model of ethical collaboration and are guided by our internal policies of zero harm to people and the environment, zero tolerance of bribery and corruption and zero opacity in our supply chain.
Since ancient times , Sri Lanka has been renowned for its gems , from sapphires and star sapphires to rubies and cat’s eyes, of all colours. Today, it remains one of the top 10 exporters of precious stones to the world.
The sapphire capital of the world , Sri Lanka was home to such priceless treasures as the Blue Giant of the Orient (466 cts), Logan Sapphire (423 cts) and Blue Belle of Asia (400 cts).
Sri Lanka has been blessed with the ideal conditions for gemstones to form and its gem bearing gravel - illam - is concentrated with precious finds.
With 75 varieties of gemstones found in the island, Sri Lankan lapidarists have excelled at cutting and polishing using distinctive, long-honed techniques.
QUALITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE
We are an open book and provide complete transparency across our operations.
We guarantee full traceability of each and every one of our gemstones, from their discovery in our mines to when they are auctioned or make it directly to you in the form of splendid jewellery. All our gemstones hail from mines where all laws, regulations and industry best practices are strictly implemented, enabling us to guarantee the authenticity and integrity of each stone.
We ensure complete visibility of the auction process ensuring our mining partners receive their fair share of each sale and we fulfil our taxation and legislative obligations. Driven beyond duty, we also align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, we provide our customers the confidence and choice to own luxurious gemstones that have actively benefited the community, environment and country of their origin.
