Parliament was told in March 2025 that the National Gem and Jewellery Authority spent 11 million Sri Lankan rupees in 2024 closing abandoned gem pits left by non-compliant or unlicensed operators.
Licensed miners post deposits and agree to refill pits when work ends. When they do not, NGJA steps in to mitigate safety and environmental hazards, particularly in districts like Badulla where illegal pits proliferate.
The spend is small relative to export revenue but signals governance cost. Every abandoned pit is also a reputational mark against an industry marketing itself as traditional and artisanal.
Buyers rarely see pit closures, but they should read them as part of the true cost of cheap rough from unlicensed diggers.