Souvenirs and handcraft Sri Lanka

 Shopping

The quality of Ceylonese handicraft is excellent: wooden sculptures, multicoloured masks, pottery, baskets, traditonally-made batiks, embroidered tablecloths from Galle... Avoid buying tortoiseshell articles and ivory objects. It is forbidden to export them. If you want to buy precious stones, avoid touts; never buy in the streets - and only from certified shops. Generally, it is better to be accompanied by a stone specialist to avoid being duped. Keep the bill for export and British customs.$$$$ Also note that Sri Lanka 'officially' exports false precious stones. Rubies can be confused with garnets. The topaze, cheap, can be a quartz. Aquamarine should not be mistaken for an emerald. Sri Lankan sapphires are generally light blue. The value of the ruby depends on the brightness of its red colour.
Barefoot, 704 Galle Road, sells the best fabrics, baskets, furniture, ornaments, toys and clothes. Premasada and Co, 560 Galle Road, is most trusted for its precious stones. Shops open between 8:00am and 9:30am and close as early as 17:00pm. In Colombo, emporiums and shopping centres close at 19:00.
Lastly, do not forget to buy tea and spices. They are cheap and of very good quality.