The back story 1
How to buy gems in Sri Lanka.
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The back story
Sapphires and gems: how to buy in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has been famous for its gems for more than two thousand years. Here is how to buy one with confidence.
22 of the best · Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
Shopping in Colombo: Design Stores, Malls, Gems and Tea
Design stores, handloom, tea, gems and malls.
Our 22 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026
What's onThis week in Sri Lanka
Insiders' picks
Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love Sri Lanka.
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Designer Shanth Fernando, since 1987
Paradise Road
The design store founded in 1987 by Shanth Fernando, for homeware, tableware and gifts.
Alfred House Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
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Handwoven colour
Barefoot
Barbara Sansoni’s celebrated store for handwoven cotton textiles, toys, books and gifts.
Galle Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
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Colombo’s oldest building
Old Dutch Hospital Precinct
The restored Dutch-era hospital in the Fort, now a courtyard of restaurants, bars and shops.
Hospital Street, Colombo 1Explore View on map
The full list: Shopping, A–Z
Show 12 of 22 places on a map
Neighbourhood
Design & handloom 6
Made in Sri Lanka.
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Handwoven colour
Barefoot
Barbara Sansoni’s celebrated store for handwoven cotton textiles, toys, books and gifts.
Galle Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
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Fixed prices
Laksala
The state-run handicraft stores, good for masks, batik, brass, wood carvings and tea at fixed prices.
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Designer Shanth Fernando, since 1987
Paradise Road
The design store founded in 1987 by Shanth Fernando, for homeware, tableware and gifts.
Alfred House Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
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Handcrafted furniture
Raux Brothers
A Sri Lankan maker of handcrafted furniture and home décor, including colonial-style pieces.
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A fair-trade handloom maker
Selyn
A Sri Lankan fair-trade handloom company, selling textiles, clothes and toys.
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Sri Lankan luxury toiletries
Spa Ceylon
A Sri Lankan brand of Ayurveda-inspired bath and body products, with boutiques across the island and abroad.
Clothes 3
Cool for the heat.
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Linen and cotton for the heat
Cotton Collection
A Sri Lankan clothing chain for linen and cotton clothes, with several stores in Colombo.
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Bargain clothes
House of Fashion
A big, busy clothing store popular with locals for good-value clothes, including overruns from the island’s garment factories.
Baseline Road, Colombo 8Explore View on map
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Sarees and silks
New Asia Silk Emporium
A long-established store on Galle Road for silk sarees and fabrics.
196B Galle Road, ColomboExplore View on map
Malls & department stores 4
Under one roof.
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Shops, cinema and food
Colombo City Centre
A mall and residential tower in central Colombo with shops, restaurants and a cinema.
Sir James Peiris Mawatha, Colombo 2Explore View on map
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Modern mall
Havelock City Mall
A large modern mall in the Havelock City development, with shops, restaurants and a cinema.
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The Colombo department store
ODEL
Sri Lanka’s best-known lifestyle department store, with its flagship at Alexandra Place.
Alexandra Place, Colombo 7Explore View on map
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The seafront mall
One Galle Face
A large modern mall on the seafront at Galle Face, with international brands, a food court and a cinema.
1A Center Road, Colombo 2Explore View on map
Historic shopping 3
Old buildings, new life.
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Colonial buildings, new life
Arcade Independence Square
Restored colonial buildings near Independence Square, now home to shops, restaurants and a cinema.
Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7Explore View on map
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Colombo’s oldest building
Old Dutch Hospital Precinct
The restored Dutch-era hospital in the Fort, now a courtyard of restaurants, bars and shops.
Hospital Street, Colombo 1Explore View on map
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Bargain and browse
Pettah markets
A grid of crowded market streets next to the Fort, each street once devoted to one trade.
Gems & jewellers 5
Ceylon sapphires.
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Since 1922
Colombo Jewellery Stores (CJS)
One of Colombo’s oldest jewellers, founded in 1922, known for gems and fine jewellery.
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Test before you buy
National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA)
The government authority for gems and jewellery, which tests and values stones and verifies certificates.
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Since 1928
Raja Jewellers
A family jeweller established in 1928, with its main showroom on Galle Road and branches in Kandy and Negombo.
173 Galle Road, Colombo 4Explore View on map
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A Colombo jewellery house
Sifani
A Sri Lankan jewellery house with showrooms in Colombo, specialising in gems and fine jewellery.
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Sapphires and gemstones
Zam Gems
Gem merchants and jewellers with showrooms in Colombo and on the road into Kandy.
Buying gems? Buy from established jewellers, ask for a certificate, and you can have stones tested at the National Gem and Jewellery Authority in Colombo.
