Moonstone, a name coined by the ancient Greeks to describe a particular stone that seems to reflect the ethereal light of the moon in solid form, has many tales woven around its origin, use and significance. Some believe, for instance, that it denotes protection especially during pregnancy, childbirth and travel.
Meetiyagoda, located between Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa, is one of the best primary sources of blue moonstones in the world and locals believe the region has been blessed by the moon. To access the moonstones, miners dig deep rectangular shafts down through the topsoil to the weathering surface of the pegmatite (extreme igneous rocks that form during the final stage of a magma’s crystallisation).
At Meetiyagoda, you can see or even go down into the deep, narrow shafts from which the stones are mined to give you a true inside view of mining and the local life that’s woven around this profession.
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