The prople of the towndepenbs on the gem trade.

Gem pits are a common sitein the surrounding area.

Most of the large - scale gem businessmen of sri lanka

operate from ratnapura .

There are considerable numbrs of foreign gem

traders in town too. among the foreing traders thai (Thailand) traters are in the majority every day,

Lareg - scale marchants collect gamstones from locals

and sell them in the international market.

Some traters go out of the city to buy gems .

this includes neighd oring towns like kalawana.

Bogawantalawa. and ele- era.



After the discovert of world

Class alluvial sapphire deposits in the vallet of

llakaka in maduguscar many ratnapura.

merchants travel out of the cuntry to madagascar

to buy gems.