The Complete List of Minerals in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s geology and long gem-trading history have produced a wide array of gemstones and industrial minerals across coastal sands and inland veins. Small-scale miners, cutters and local markets have shaped how these resources are found and used today.

There are 37 Minerals in Sri Lanka, ranging from Andalusite to Zircon. Each entry is organized with the columns Mineral class,Principal localities,Primary uses/status — details you’ll find below.

Which minerals on the list drive the island’s economy the most?

The most economically significant include gem-quality corundum (sapphires and rubies), heavy mineral sand components like ilmenite, rutile and zircon used in industry, and graphite for certain applications; gems support high-value exports while heavy minerals and graphite feed manufacturing and processing sectors.

How can I use the list to plan research or a field visit?

Use the Principal localities column to target specific districts, the Mineral class to understand geological context, and Primary uses/status to see whether a deposit is actively mined or simply recorded; always check local regulations and contact licensed guides or museums before visiting sites.

Minerals in Sri Lanka

Images and Descriptions

Corundum

Corundum (aluminum oxide) is Sri Lanka’s world‑famous gem mineral — sapphires and rubies from Ratnapura gravels. prized for color and clarity, it drives gem mining and international trade while remaining locally rare and highly valued.

Spinel

Spinel occurs as gem‑quality crystals in gem gravels and alluvial deposits around Ratnapura. Often red, pink, or blue, Sri Lankan spinels are prized by collectors and appear alongside corundum and garnet in historic gem finds.

Chrysoberyl

Chrysoberyl in Sri Lanka yields fine alexandrite and cymophane (cat’s eye). Tough and brilliant, these stones are rare, fetch premium prices, and are a highlight of Sri Lanka’s gem suite in placer deposits.

Garnet

Garnets (commonly almandine and pyrope) occur in gem gravels and heavy‑mineral sands. They range from deep red gems to industrial abrasive grains, contributing to both local gem collecting and placer mineral mixes.

Tourmaline

Tourmaline appears in Sri Lanka as multicolored gems — from green and blue to pink. Found in pegmatites and alluvium, these attractive crystals are collected by gem hunters and occasionally cut for jewelry.

Zircon

Zircon occurs as brilliant gemstones and dense heavy‑mineral grains in placer deposits. Sri Lankan zircon provides gem material and sand‑grade zircon for industry; vibrant, often high‑refractive gems are prized by collectors.

Topaz

Topaz is reported from gem gravels and pegmatitic pockets in Sri Lanka, producing colorless to pale blue stones. It’s less common than corundum or spinel but sought after for faceting and collection.

Beryl

Beryl (including aquamarine) occurs in pegmatites and secondary gravels. Gemmy aquamarines are rare but notable finds for collectors; beryl contributes to Sri Lanka’s diversity of pegmatitic gem minerals.

Quartz

Quartz is ubiquitous across Sri Lanka, forming crystals and gravels. Transparent rock crystal is used as gem material, while massive quartz is common in gneisses and veins — a fundamental constituent of local geology.

Orthoclase

Orthoclase feldspar produces the adularescent moonstone Sri Lanka is famous for. These pearly, shimmering gems are found in gem gravels and pegmatites, prized for jewelry and cultural value.

Muscovite

Muscovite mica occurs in Sri Lanka’s metamorphic rocks and pegmatites as silvery flakes. It’s common in the highlands and important to petrology; historically used in small‑scale industrial and insulating applications.

Biotite

Biotite is a dark mica abundant in Sri Lanka’s gneisses and schists. It’s a key indicator of metamorphic conditions and a common component of the island’s bedrock rather than a commercial mineral.

Ilmenite

Ilmenite dominates Sri Lanka’s coastal heavy‑mineral sands and was historically mined for titanium feed. Dense black grains are economically important in placer deposits along northern and southern coasts.

Rutile

Rutile occurs both as an ore mineral in beach sands and as fine needle inclusions that create star effects in gems. It’s less abundant than ilmenite but significant in placer concentrates.

Monazite

Monazite is a thorium‑bearing rare‑earth phosphate found in coastal placers. Economically and environmentally significant due to radioactivity; historically important in Sri Lankan mineral surveys and placer processing.

Magnetite

Magnetite shows up in metamorphic rocks and heavy mineral concentrates. Magnetic and dense, it’s an important heavy‑mineral indicator in placers and can signal iron enrichment in local lithologies.

Hematite

Hematite occurs in metamorphic and weathered rocks across Sri Lanka. It’s a red iron oxide used historically as pigment and occasionally noted as an iron‑ore component in upland terrains.

Pyrite

Pyrite (“fool’s gold”) is widespread in Sri Lanka’s metamorphic and hydrothermal veins. Common in many rock types, it’s of interest to collectors and indicates reducing conditions during mineral formation.

Chalcopyrite

Chalcopyrite occurs in small sulfide lenses and hydrothermal veins. Not a major ore in Sri Lanka but reported in metamorphic terrains; of interest for local mineral exploration and small‑scale mining history.

Apatite

Apatite appears in some metamorphic and igneous rocks in Sri Lanka. Though not a large commercial fertilizer source locally, it’s an important accessory mineral for petrologists and collectors.

Sillimanite

Sillimanite is a high‑temperature metamorphic mineral found in Sri Lanka’s high‑grade gneisses. It’s an industrially useful refractory mineral and a key indicator of metamorphic conditions.

Kyanite

Kyanite occurs in high‑pressure metamorphic rocks of Sri Lanka’s highlands. Recognizable by bladed crystals, it’s used as a refractory material and valued by geologists mapping metamorphic zones.

Andalusite

Andalusite is found locally as discrete crystals in contact‑metamorphosed rocks. It’s rarer than kyanite or sillimanite and of interest to collectors and metamorphic petrologists.

Staurolite

Staurolite, with its distinctive cross‑shaped twinned crystals, occurs in Sri Lanka’s high‑grade schists. Collectible and diagnostic of particular metamorphic conditions, it’s a prized specimen for local collectors.

Graphite

Graphite occurs in Sri Lanka’s metamorphic rocks as flakes and veins. Historically noted in geological surveys, it’s of interest for industrial use and research though not a large modern commodity there.

Calcite

Calcite is ubiquitous in veins and weathered zones across the island. Used locally for lime and building material in the past, it’s primarily a common rock‑forming mineral of wide geological interest.

Dolomite

Dolomite occurs in limited stratigraphic occurrences and vein settings. Less common than calcite, it’s noted in some carbonate units and of interest for local geological mapping.

Goethite

Goethite is a common iron oxide in Sri Lanka’s laterites and weathered profiles. It’s important to soil and laterite geology, forming the brownish iron‑rich horizons seen across lowland and upland terrains.

Epidote

Epidote occurs in metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rocks in Sri Lanka. Green and pistachio‑colored crystals are useful to petrologists and occasionally collected by mineral enthusiasts.

Chalcedony

Chalcedony (microcrystalline quartz) turns up in gravels and veins as translucent gem material. Locally used for ornamentals, it’s a minor but attractive component of Sri Lanka’s gemstone assemblage.

Sphene (Titanite)

Titanite (sphene) appears as small, high‑dispersion crystals in metamorphic rocks. Rare but brilliant when gemmy, it’s a specialist collector’s mineral in Sri Lanka’s high‑grade terrains.

Pyroxene (diopside)

Diopside and related pyroxenes occur in metamorphic and skarn‑like assemblages. Occasionally gemmy (chrome diopside elsewhere), in Sri Lanka they’re mainly accessory minerals useful for geological interpretation.

Fluorite

Fluorite is reported in localized vein occurrences and pegmatites. Attractive cubic crystals are occasional collector’s items, while the mineral itself has minor industrial relevance where found.

Manganese oxides (e.g., psilomelane)

Manganese oxide minerals occur in minor deposits and weathering zones. They’re noted in regional geology and supply small amounts of manganese; specimens are interesting for collectors.

Clay minerals (kaolinite)

Kaolinite is a common weathering product in Sri Lanka and feeds local ceramic and brickmaking traditions. As a mineral species it’s widespread and important for soil and industrial uses.

Pyroxene (augite)

Augite occurs in some metamorphosed basic rocks and as an accessory in Sri Lanka. It helps geologists reconstruct protoliths and metamorphic histories and is commonly seen in thin section studies.

Magnesite

Magnesite is reported in limited occurrences and lateritic sources. Where present it’s valued for refractory and industrial magnesium applications, though Sri Lankan deposits are not major producers.

Minerals in Other Countries