Geuda heat treatment firm ventures into gem stone healing therapy
Gemstones galore
Sri Lanka has made many great strides in the gem business following the acquiring of knowledge in transforming Geuda (semi-precious stones) into high value precious stones such as Blue Sapphires, White Sapphires, Rubies and Yellow Sapphires while heat treating it under either reducing or oxidising conditions.
But for decades, Sri Lankan gem miners had discarded Geuda stones as worthless material.
Thai traders visiting the country at that time bought that material in bulk at very low prices and turned it to valuable coloured stones using the heat treatment method.
It took at least 10 to 15 years for Sri Lankans to get accustomed to corundum heat treatment techniques through painstaking work, keen observation, and trial and error methods.
The most original of the Geuda heat treatment pioneers of Sri Lanka is W.C. Jayawardana, head of the Alexandra Gem export company, who was one of the first to have successfully heated a gem corundum in order to improve its colour and clarity.
There were no parties involved in the research relating to this specific area in mid seventies, Mr. Jayawardena told the Business Times adding that he had been able to discover the secret of the Geuda value addition process through his experiments with the assistance of the Ceylon Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (CISISR) and the British High Commission in Sri Lanka.
Mr. Jayawardana is a BSC degree holder of Sri Jayewardenepura University, (then Vidyodaya University) in 1971. He started his career as a teacher and later gave up teaching to carry out gem business and experiments in gem heat treatment after obtaining a Diploma in Gemology from Katubedda campus.
He noted that he had to burn corundum varieties under various conditions during his experiments under oxidation and reduction conditions by adding certain chemicals or pumping certain gas types to the heating chamber.
Finally he was been able to discover the proper heat treatment technique and sometime later he produced a furnace that could be used to convert Geuda into high value precious stones.
This furnace is now in the commercial stage of production, he said, adding that there are around 100 persons who know the heat treatment technique and most of them acquired this knowledge from him.
The Gem and Jewellery Research and Training Institute (GJRTI) has also played a major role in the value addition of country’s gem resources, especially corundum, he disclosed.
At present Sri Lanka produces the best Blue Sapphire with corn flower blue; or royal blue or peacock feather blue. Blue sapphires of this colour are in high demand from jewellers worldwide.
Mr. Jayawardana is currently practising gem stone healing therapy to cure many diseases such as blood sugar, arthritis, joint pains, headaches, stress and reduce fat.
When combined with gem stone therapy, the power transforming energies from the stones impart from natural antidotes to disorders and ionic distortions creating harmony and restoration in the human body.
He noted that “crystals contain an inherent life force, on earth including the human body. If the energy fields in the body become blocked for some reason like stress or environmental factors for instance disease can occur”.
The application of hands in conjunction with the stones helps produce energy that assists with and directs vital flow of heat energy to areas of blockage, he disclosed.
Following exposure to heat, the surrounding tissue may contain an excess of blood due to increased blood flow caused by a derivative response.
‘The application of warm gem stones to the body aids in an increase of capillary blood pressure allowing the blood to leave from congested areas,” he explained adding that it will also help in multiplying red and white blood cells, and for every 34 degrees of Fahrenheit rise in internal temperature, metabolism increases by 10 to 15 per cent.
Crystals are often said to be connected to the seven main energy centres of the human body and each centre controls certain gland which in turn controls certain organs.
These energy centres have certain colour, and using a similar coloured crystal may help to balance out the centre, improving mental and physical health, he pointed out.
Alexandra Gem Exports Company is also designing and producing gem studded silver jewellery reflecting latest trends for the European market especially for Germany, Mr. Jayawardana disclosed.
The company’s in-house designers and artisans have designed and turned out an impressive collection of silver jewellery – earrings, brooches, rings, bracelets and necklaces – that showcases both the creative talents of the people working in the sector and the country’s resources of precious gems, he emphasised.