When Iflal buys the stone in the rough, the stone does not resemble a finished ruby or sapphire. The rough is just collected from alluvial
deposits in city of Ratnapura, which means "City of Gems." It appears as a bluish or reddish stone. Looking at rough, one cannot be
entirely sure whether or not it will produce a good quality gemstone. In this first photo, a woman is shown with at a stone faceting bench. Note
the round wheel in front of her which is where the rough stone is polished.
A special thanks to John Ross for providing the photos for this tour of Iflal's factory.
