Inside Sri Lanka’s Deadly Underground Mines Filled With Rare Jewels | Risky Business | Insider

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  • Опубликовано: 2 мар 2023
  • Almost every gemstone in the world can be found in deep underground pits in Sri Lanka, a country renowned for its colored sapphires. But mining is dangerous for workers and harmful to the environment.
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    Inside Sri Lanka’s Deadly Underground Mines Filled With Rare Jewels | Risky Business | Insider

Комментарии • 1,5 тыс.

  • @jeffery9781
    @jeffery9781 Год назад +710

    Thanks for such an excellent documentary. I am Sri Lankan, Sri Lankan Media channel never did this level of documentary before about this industry.
    Media channels are just licking politicians' shoes and showing their Nonsense to citizens.
    Hats off to Business Insider for the fantastic documentary. 👏❣

  • @ThePerfectCurry
    @ThePerfectCurry Год назад +279

    Thank you for making this short doc. Helping to unveil the Lives of these rural Sri Lankans who are living in extreme poverty , but work in the multimillion dollar industry. I hope someone will make a shot about tea plantation workers too.

    • @TheMadhurajayaweera
      @TheMadhurajayaweera Год назад +9

      Bureaucracy and corruption at every level is to be blamed.

    • @kermit8173
      @kermit8173 Год назад

      I can make better curry than that in my sleep. Go home and be a family man.

    • @Pajtim2023
      @Pajtim2023 10 месяцев назад +6

      Mutli billion dollar industry not millions

    • @colonela7815
      @colonela7815 8 месяцев назад

      This is capitalism' fault plain and simple

    • @CitizenSnips69
      @CitizenSnips69 8 месяцев назад

      They claim to care soo much about slavery that happened in the PAST, but are so quick to aid companies in exploiting foreign workers TODAY. These people are living in conditions worse than many slaves, yet nobody talks about it? Just goes to show who is really in control… big businesses with 0 ethical concerns. The amount of profit they make of this deadly industry is disgusting, yet they sleep sound at night knowing they’re exploiting thousands. How do people like that exist and operate freely in our country without consequence? We need to hold them accountable, and demand change from the politicians they literally bribe.

  • @willieyoung4818
    @willieyoung4818 Год назад +47

    It is nice to see the locals speaking up for a safer mining industry.. Hard to see AND hear about the tough and unfair practices.. May God Bless Them All.....

  • @Shteven
    @Shteven Год назад +30

    I bought a rough blue tanzanite from sir lanka, the thing is about the size of a AAA battery and was only like $7 (might have been like $12 but still) as well as small peices of opal that are truly mesmerizing. These miners deserve better for their hard work, these stones are beautiful and many are willing to pay good money for them, the ones bringing them to fruition should get a fair share of the profits. But alas, that's in a fair world, and we live in anything but

    • @user-bi8ko7kc6h
      @user-bi8ko7kc6h Год назад +5

      How? Tanzanite only come from Tanzania not Sir Lanka. And there are lots of Sir Lanka people scamming tourists. Even for professional gemstone dealers often got scammed, what they get from the market isn’t what they were told.

  • @arieerkkila
    @arieerkkila Год назад +174

    Pure exploitation, sad to see. You could hear the frustration as the miner talked about the gem dealer who lives in a multistory house while many miners don’t have a house at all.

    • @toniventura2985
      @toniventura2985 Месяц назад

      ​@@TheDogGoesWoof69 I work in this industry and at face value it would seem like that but in reality there are also very few local middlemen that have a lot wealth ... the biggest problem in gem trading is the locations.
      The europeans would love to create factories to improve the workers working habitat but it is nearly impossible to get the resources there to do so.
      There is also regional controllers and ambassadors and thrifty license procedures that spike up the cost ( more than the stone itself ) to export the stone.
      Security is a must , even if youre carrying nothing but a mobile phone. Anytime you can be abducted for ransom. Generally you need to bribe the local policemen to drive you down, but unless you add the peace keeping elders inside the van , your risk( with security or police ) is still very high.
      If youre lucky to not be killed by bush gangs and make it back to your workshop, you need to spend 4 weeks polishing it by hand because there is no electricity. Then you need to go on the open market, deal with cutoms officials & bank accounts.
      At the end, if it arrives in the west, the stone is most of the time moved around from hand to hand and everybody makes a little off each time it is handed over.
      ONLY renowned jewelry houses and a few odd people make a lot of money from jewels ( which is also in decline due to the latest negative social perspective towards wealth ).
      ALSO - Keep in mind that the chances to find worthy stones ( jewelry grade diamonds for example) is a rarity. Miners might spend years digging without success.
      This business goes hand in hand and its wrong to assume that millions are made , as simple for example , as stock markets or new innovations.
      Work of passion generally never makes millions.

    • @RohitMReddy
      @RohitMReddy Месяц назад +4

      They need to get paid a lot more.

    • @shekinass
      @shekinass 18 дней назад

      There's a special place in hell for him if he doesn't change his ways.

    • @the_real_cookiez
      @the_real_cookiez 2 дня назад

      Ppl who work on raw material extraction rarely do. ​@@RohitMReddy

  • @dons618
    @dons618 Год назад +270

    When the miner mentioned about the middlemen living in luxury,it truly affected me

    • @rafaelperalta1676
      @rafaelperalta1676 Год назад +10

      It hurt me in a way most likely the same as you.

    • @victoryoneable
      @victoryoneable Год назад +7

      Everyone hates the middleman and thinks they're cheating them. In reality, middlemen exist because there is a disconnect between the original seller and the ultimate buyer which can only be changed by altering the way you do business. Often it is the buyer who refuses to deal with the seller for cultural reasons, or the seller is not making his product attractive to the buyer. If you want to cut out the middleman, look at what is causing these barriers to exist.
      Some commenters are saying they will buy the stones directly. In some cases you can do that, but you run the risk of buying synthetics, even from miners at the mine site itself.
      Edit: People replying to my comment need to do some research on what middleman gem traders actually do, the risks they take and the knowledge and capital they need to have before they have a chance at being successful at this trade.

    • @apair4002
      @apair4002 Год назад +20

      @@victoryoneable And why the middle man become millionaire and the miners poor af? Because middle buy it from miners very cheap af.

    • @HHH-dn5kt
      @HHH-dn5kt Год назад +8

      ​@@victoryoneable broker spotted on comment section

    • @dinglehops491
      @dinglehops491 Год назад

      @@apair4002 middlemen resell the gem. It's not our fault they sell at such a low price, that then someone can turn around and be millionaires. They don't own the mine, they work it. In what world does an employee make the most?
      Use ya head.

  • @ryanforth-martin1907
    @ryanforth-martin1907 Год назад +850

    No one should have to work in these sorts of conditions. My heart goes out to these people ❤️

  • @godzillamothra5983
    @godzillamothra5983 Год назад +136

    it is heartbreaking to see them risk life for next to nothing while the jewelry shops around the world make the most out of it.

    • @jackieboy1593
      @jackieboy1593 Год назад +3

      They could leave at any point, and get out of the industry. That would help drive up the cost of labor, but too many work the mines.

    • @HawkinaBox
      @HawkinaBox Год назад +35

      @@jackieboy1593 They can't get out of the industry when their survival depends on it. They might not have another job opportunity.

    • @TS-1267
      @TS-1267 Год назад +2

      ... AND THE CUSTOMER... NO CUSTOMER.. NO NEED... 🤔

    • @marcusmiro7481
      @marcusmiro7481 Год назад +10

      @@HawkinaBox Exactly - these people are quite literally slaves. Capitalism enables legal slavery. If these people had other options, this job would pay SIGNIFICANTLY more than it does.

    • @WillyWillard-ls7sy
      @WillyWillard-ls7sy 11 дней назад +1

      @@marcusmiro7481 what does this have to do with capitalism?

  • @SABER_Knight-King
    @SABER_Knight-King Год назад +415

    It's unbelievable what kind of work some people do for a living, I admit that I could never do this kind of work myself & I know that that's the case for 99.9% of people out there so those few who do it deserve respect & *higher* salaries... I mean when you are doing such a dangerous job where you can lose your life at any time you need to be compensated adequate, right?

    • @pasans8858
      @pasans8858 Год назад +17

      true even as a Sri Lankan first time I'm seeing this ,only heard about this. Bless them to be safe while doing such a dangerous job.

    • @Sangeetha2708
      @Sangeetha2708 Год назад

      I agree 💯

    • @clairechloe5294
      @clairechloe5294 Год назад +1

      Yes, that is right. We live in such an unfair and cruel world. May their karma keep them safe!.

    • @thebellcurve3437
      @thebellcurve3437 Год назад +4

      And who is going to decide what a "fair" salary for those miners is? You? Or some other group of people shouting and protesting about the "exploitation" of miners? No, the best judge of adequate salary is the free market. These miners are being paid exactly what they are worth. Your worth on the job market depends on how easy you are to replace. If these miners had important rare skills, they could protest and strike and walk off the job until they got a raise, but they don't because if they protest or walk off the job, they will be replaced quickly. And if they are so easily replaced, then their labor is not that valuable, meaning they are paid exactly what they are worth.

    • @a_kholdun
      @a_kholdun Год назад +25

      @@thebellcurve3437 Aah yes, a fair and effective system of free market. No corruption, no inequality, no structural poverty, no discrimination againts less-educated. Just a fair and square system of free market.

  • @lewiskinser8320
    @lewiskinser8320 Год назад +48

    I’m drawn to this poor man and his family. I’d like to come meet them

  • @paulandrews__
    @paulandrews__ Год назад +18

    Can we talk about the elephant in the room that is the gem buyers paying next to nothing to the miners who risk their lives every day? That’s disgusting.

  • @minacadalso
    @minacadalso Год назад +520

    This is very illuminating as someone who just opened a crystal shop. I do try my best to make sure I don’t support bad practices with what I buy for my store, but this makes it clear that the issues run deep. I hope these miners and the country in general sees a better future!

    • @ram-cstatus8500
      @ram-cstatus8500 Год назад +1

      Hello were you from

    • @minacadalso
      @minacadalso Год назад +5

      @@ram-cstatus8500 Toronto, canada

    • @ram-cstatus8500
      @ram-cstatus8500 Год назад +5

      @@minacadalso 🤩🤩wow i am from sri lanka do you know sri lanka

    • @hindhaamhaleem6530
      @hindhaamhaleem6530 Год назад +1

      Okay 6th April 20th 2nd of all its free is the 8

    • @_North
      @_North Год назад +8

      ​@@minacadalso I'm from Canada too. My parents are from Sri Lanka.

  • @Grippybananas
    @Grippybananas Год назад +34

    Brave of the insider crew to head down as well

    • @dawnwish7958
      @dawnwish7958 Год назад

      Yep for sure. I personally wouldn’t had the courage to go to a place like that, no matter the rewards I get back

    • @fidelcatsro6948
      @fidelcatsro6948 Год назад

      probably trained and paid a miner 3 months equivalent salary for a 2hour shot with them filming themselves in the mines 🐱👍🏿

  • @xinghuali2842
    @xinghuali2842 Год назад +342

    My grandfather used to be a gem dealer and he frequently travel to Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, Africa and Brazil these are countless I remember. Gems/jewelry are given as a gift instead of cash. But either mines were closed or gem quality stones are becoming rare and decided to just focus on jewelry making and repair. I’m just glad to see how gems are mine.

    • @paulphoenix8673
      @paulphoenix8673 Год назад

      of course. you damn chinese scumbags also smuggle gems not just illegal drugs.

    • @xinghuali2842
      @xinghuali2842 Год назад

      @@paulphoenix8673 of course, it’s always the Chinese’s fault ( and stupid people like you thinks all asians are Chinese) everything they do are scam and illegal that’s why they’re millionaires and you? Educate yourself and stop feeding your head with your stupid stereotypes it won’t make you rich like these Chinese lol.

    • @abdullahbasith7665
      @abdullahbasith7665 Год назад +3

      I am gem business man in Sri Lanka

    • @MeowCockadoodledoo
      @MeowCockadoodledoo Год назад +11

      ​@@RUclipsTookMyNickname.WhyNot He meant "how gems are mined" as in "how those gems are taken out from the mine"

    • @madeinnagaland5275
      @madeinnagaland5275 Год назад +3

      @@RUclipsTookMyNickname.WhyNot I believe it's all his, any questions?

  • @Savetheforest
    @Savetheforest Год назад +156

    I’m from Ratnapura and I’m proud of my city... this documentary was very interesting and I appreciate who done it.. best wishes..❤

    • @Cody_Handsome
      @Cody_Handsome Год назад +3

      Why are you proud of your city?

    • @docjackal8511
      @docjackal8511 Год назад +10

      @@Cody_Handsome maybe because of practicing slavery to this day..

    • @mayankjain8147
      @mayankjain8147 Год назад +3

      it is not natural to find blue saphires, ruby and emerald together, os this place Ravanas buried treasure chamber and you belive that ravan existed and is he a part of your culture, asking this because here in India everyone says it is just a story written by someone which pisses me off.

    • @sharfanshezard1595
      @sharfanshezard1595 Год назад +1

      ​@@Cody_Handsome for fool like you

    • @thavamt1776
      @thavamt1776 Год назад +21

      ​​@@Cody_Handsome what's wrong in being proud? Not every city is filled with rare jewels

  • @miroslavzima8856
    @miroslavzima8856 Год назад +8

    I feel anxiety. To drown in darkness or suffocate in tunnel collapse - those are my biggest fears in one place.

  • @chamilajla
    @chamilajla Год назад +52

    The saddest truth. We are living in a land of gems, but that's our harsh lives. Thank you for this video. It shows the truth. Watching this video make me emotional

    • @nutzhazel
      @nutzhazel Год назад

      Just boycott the mining industry until you get better pay

    • @chamilajla
      @chamilajla Год назад +7

      @@nutzhazel that's their only income. The mine owner will hire new people.

    • @cutetiny6144
      @cutetiny6144 Год назад +4

      @@chamilajla Should impose government policies for a minimum wage for a gem stone miner

    • @sameerarathnayaka3701
      @sameerarathnayaka3701 Год назад

      Im cameraman this documentary.

    • @Mihidu1
      @Mihidu1 Год назад

      ​​@@cutetiny6144 they care nothing for them .

  • @Hasitha_Chandrasekara
    @Hasitha_Chandrasekara Год назад +29

    Salary should be 1200LKR per day and not week as mentioned in the video.

    • @fidelcatsro6948
      @fidelcatsro6948 Год назад +4

      so its about 100usd per month i see

    • @damianxavier7343
      @damianxavier7343 Год назад +5

      Yea I was wondering as well as to how some one could live on 4800 rupees a month. 1200 a day makes much more sense.

    • @Hasitha_Chandrasekara
      @Hasitha_Chandrasekara Год назад +6

      @@damianxavier7343 typically it should be around 2000 - 2500 LKR per day for labor. I feel like these miners may have some profit sharing arrangement with the owners for daily wage to be so low.

    • @Hasitha_Chandrasekara
      @Hasitha_Chandrasekara Год назад +3

      @@fidelcatsro6948 typically around $ 120 - 150 per month.

    • @dallas_pandora4206
      @dallas_pandora4206 Год назад

      @@Hasitha_Chandrasekara you can't expect good wages in a third-world country, my guy.

  • @kelvincostner7775
    @kelvincostner7775 Год назад +12

    Sri Lanka is richer than other country if they sell this gem right 👍👍

  • @Tetratravelssrilanka
    @Tetratravelssrilanka Год назад +22

    Really wonderful documentary about the Gem industry of Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 .Thank you for showing the real conditions of the mines and the industry.

  • @johngore3364
    @johngore3364 Год назад +30

    The people responsible for digging these gems live in stick and stone houses, covered with leafs. The executives of these companies selling the gems live in luxury houses. That's just insane but that's how it works. Unfortunately

    • @caesargold3695
      @caesargold3695 Год назад +1

      Happens in most parts of the world.. the most miserable, back breaking and effort consuming jobs will yield infinitely less than paperwork. And they say feudalism is dead.

    • @janececelia7448
      @janececelia7448 Год назад

      Have you read through some of the comments from people with Indian/ Sri Lankin sounding names; mind blowing and infuriating! That's part of the problem right there. Though it's illegal the caste system still prevails.

  • @dannyfubar3099
    @dannyfubar3099 8 месяцев назад +4

    Its an amazing adventure to witness these hard working people so many miles away. Thank you for sharing.

  • @MP-vc4nu
    @MP-vc4nu Год назад +6

    8:46
    Experts : “Miners remove native vegetation”
    Video : shows only an living room area that has removed vegetation
    Me : “confusion compare to what I saw in western modern mines”

  • @HelenahSian-hl5ue
    @HelenahSian-hl5ue Год назад +3

    Real Men here it takes a heart to go down for this❤🇰🇪

  • @jmcc5168
    @jmcc5168 Год назад +19

    The miners when find a gem , need to be rewarded financially better , plenty of money in the sell for this . Just greed prevents this .

    • @pamelagearhart9251
      @pamelagearhart9251 Год назад +1

      These miners need to get some kind of way to get on the internet and sell these gems to people around the world who will pay what they are worth and cut out these local middle men! Get on eBay or whatever! Then they will have the big 🏘...seriously. Elon Musk needs to send free starling to these people😮

    • @YoyoBear12
      @YoyoBear12 Год назад

      @@pamelagearhart9251 yes!! If the miners go on etsy and sell them through there i think they would make a good profit

  • @Shanarai
    @Shanarai Год назад +36

    This video hurts during the profit part for me. The miners are being exploited pretty much with their lives being constantly put on the line and they earn so little compared to the traders. There are many cruel jobs like this around the world.

    • @thebellcurve3437
      @thebellcurve3437 Год назад +3

      They agreed to work for the salary they are being paid so where is the exploitation? Do you even know what that word means? Consenting adults conducting business is not "exploitation", it's just people doing business. Stop calling any difficult job "exploitation" because it isn't.

    • @mirani2571
      @mirani2571 Год назад +13

      @@thebellcurve3437 you didn't get the OP's point here, what he meant by exploitation of those workers is in terms of being paid less when those gems actually cost more. The market where they are selling them is a big mafia in its own. The buyers buy for a lower price and then sell them at higher prices to the customers later. they do this to make more profit and it is the exploitation of the laborer's hard work because they've been doing this for years and they are being paid less meanwhile the middle men are a living luxurious life with the profit they made by exploiting. This happens everywhere around the world in trade markets and it still goes on like this. what they need to do to solve this issue is to make the miners sell their gems directly to the customers instead of these middle men but in order to do that the miners need to have more connections with clients/companies which they don't have.

    • @MnemonicHack
      @MnemonicHack Год назад +3

      It's because there's so many people who need to do it. If one group refuses and demands higher pay, there are so many more who would gladly take their place for the low pay. You don't tackle this problem by targeting the industry, you tackle it by making labor more valuable in general, which will drive people away from the mining business, which will by necessity raise the pay in the mining business.
      The issue is population. Too many people = labor is cheap

    • @911axe
      @911axe Год назад +4

      Same as most industry around the world. The workers doing the most makes the least and the worker doing the least makes the most.

    • @user-bi8ko7kc6h
      @user-bi8ko7kc6h Год назад

      Basically apply to everything we’re using but no one cares.

  • @Liquidator101
    @Liquidator101 Год назад +13

    A full documentary about this would be epic.

  • @user-eg3yq5hr3y
    @user-eg3yq5hr3y 9 дней назад +1

    Respect to the wonderful people of Siri Lanka from Pakistan

  • @kumarj4693
    @kumarj4693 Год назад +72

    I’ve been involved in small scale mining for nearly 2 decades now. Those bags they carry out of the mine shafts are not weighing 40 lbs, but at least 45 kgs or more, because anything less would equate to loss of valuable time and effort, as miners work in 8 hour shifts and have to clear all their harvest before the next shift comes in. It takes a lot of resolve and grit to be a small scale miner working in make shift mines that dot Asia and Africa. Whenever I see a worker in the mountains, be it for logging or mining, I have to admire them for their inner strength and resolve, if nothing else. Staying and working in the mountains is not for the faint of heart and mind. City bois wouldn’t last 3 days where I usually operate.

    • @imchris5000
      @imchris5000 Год назад +2

      its a bag of gravel not lead

    • @freecommentor
      @freecommentor Год назад

      Are you a Sri Lankan?

    • @Pantelijator
      @Pantelijator Год назад +6

      @@imchris5000 half of a bag of gravel can weigh about 35- 45 kg especially wet one

    • @imchris5000
      @imchris5000 Год назад

      @@Pantelijator I have a stack of gravel in bags bigger than those little sacks they only weigh 50lbs each

    • @kumarj4693
      @kumarj4693 Год назад +9

      @@imchris5000 ever mined anything in your life dude? A bag of 2% copper ore in the same volume as gravel is 3 times the weight

  • @VN88ph
    @VN88ph Год назад +18

    May they always be guided and protected 🙏🏻😇

    • @Rod-bp8ow
      @Rod-bp8ow Год назад

      zoo kp
      In KT ko
      K
      M
      Make nations reconciled
      O
      It I
      it k

    • @Rod-bp8ow
      @Rod-bp8ow Год назад

      KT Jt o
      One dozen oaklo
      ooi
      i
      L
      On
      All
      I
      It'so

    • @Rod-bp8ow
      @Rod-bp8ow Год назад

      Tip Tuck k
      lll

  • @alli6791
    @alli6791 Год назад +6

    It makes me sick that the people that take the most risk (their lives), get the least reward.

  • @sumuduasiri
    @sumuduasiri Год назад +8

    I also got this experience when i was 20 years old. Now I'm 32 . So that was very hard and nice experience for my life. Frankly speaking i was very lucky to find jems. So i earned lots of money those days.

  • @phaywin7417
    @phaywin7417 Год назад +22

    It's a really hard work in under ground of a mine. I had about 10 years experience working at the rubby mines in Moegok,
    Myanmar.

  • @LaplacianFourier
    @LaplacianFourier Год назад +5

    Insider is such a cool channel bringing us these gray stories!

  • @IndianCrystals
    @IndianCrystals Год назад +14

    Very nice documentary. Being a Crystal Collector in India, I totally understand how difficult it is to be underground for such a long time & doing tedious tasks there. Sadly, the miners doesn't earn the real value of the gemstone. Thank you for this video. Love from India 😍

    • @luisbacca5645
      @luisbacca5645 9 месяцев назад

      Are you interested in purchasing rough 💎

    • @audreyh6628
      @audreyh6628 8 месяцев назад +1

      Since you know I hope you offer them a fair price when you buy your stones - so many do know and still don't offer a fair price to workers

  • @NnaemekaAmamasi
    @NnaemekaAmamasi Год назад +1

    I live in Africa and I used to think we had it bad till I saw this video. The Srilankans take the whole suffering thing to another level.

  • @barneylinet6602
    @barneylinet6602 Год назад +13

    I take my hat off to these brave men; i could never face this kind of life. And i sincerely pray that God will shower them with beautiful crystals for their efforts. Good luck!!!!!!!

  • @michaelrose93
    @michaelrose93 Год назад +5

    Fun fact: Ruby's and sapphires are the _same mineral,_ corundum.
    Red corundum is known as ruby, every other color of corundum is known as sapphire.

  • @freecommentor
    @freecommentor Год назад +5

    There are many urban legends about mine workers who smuggled gems out (often by swallowing) and got rich beyond imagination just by selling a single stone. 💎

    • @johndowe7003
      @johndowe7003 Год назад +1

      Why swallow when you can use your prison pocket

  • @mashperera6254
    @mashperera6254 Год назад +16

    I wish him that he'll find more jems often so he can educate his children and happy and relaxed life in his years to come ❤️💙💜

  • @SharpnessSword
    @SharpnessSword Год назад +9

    I love how well these are made

  • @venomdealer790
    @venomdealer790 Год назад +14

    Scary conditions to work. Yet the miners are deceived by the merchants for peanuts.

    • @superfluous5162
      @superfluous5162 Год назад +1

      Side effect of socialism , they need company .

    • @Niko-vh8pj
      @Niko-vh8pj Год назад +3

      @@superfluous5162 it is not related to socialism or capitalism, rather it is related to the human nature, evilness. A sidenote, socialism has alredy lost as a system.

    • @fidelcatsro6948
      @fidelcatsro6948 Год назад

      not unless they swallow them out of the mine

    • @Niko-vh8pj
      @Niko-vh8pj Год назад

      @@fidelcatsro6948 :) actually communism is not related to worker rights or something like that. You simply make all citizens gov workers, but the system becomes bulky and cannot produce efficiency, and collapses.

  • @VwithNature
    @VwithNature Год назад +3

    Tears ,sweat and hardwork behind the every single gems 😒

  • @ChamaraIresh
    @ChamaraIresh Год назад +12

    The sad truth is that the multimillion-dollar jewelry industry gives very little to the real hardworking people, but only the owners always win. People wear jewelry with pride, but it's very difficult to create it. It's an injustice to the real heroes.

  • @kasturipillay6626
    @kasturipillay6626 Год назад +47

    Thank you guys ,its not easy doing this kind of job. God bless you for bringing these precious stones above ground, for the world to enjoy. ♥️🌹🙏👍

    • @nutzhazel
      @nutzhazel Год назад +2

      Just boycott the mining industry until you get better pay

    • @janececelia7448
      @janececelia7448 Год назад +11

      What a cop out! These people need help not your disingenuous comment. Obviously, you are bereft of empathy for the plight of these people.

    • @AA-eq2zq
      @AA-eq2zq Год назад

      Pretty rocks certainly aren't worth death and suffering. No one should work this job. It shouldn't be blessed.

    • @akj3344
      @akj3344 Год назад

      @@janececelia7448 exactly.

    • @belleepoque2544
      @belleepoque2544 Год назад

      @@nutzhazel If we boycott, they get lower wages. Use your brain!

  • @RajdeepNaskar007
    @RajdeepNaskar007 11 месяцев назад +4

    I am form india (westbengal ) ...
    I cannot stop writing because my hands are just shaking to write ....
    I have a suggestion if any one have the buisness idea among every team one should go for the online site make thier own buisness perspective way .... This slavery and hardwork not go to vain .... Make yourself to be happy by making your own empire ...
    The people outside of srilanka and very ready to accept and needed the original gems so try online buisness just once ... You will surely don't. Regret after doing this

  • @navaragems99
    @navaragems99 Год назад +1

    Big Salute for real heroes behind every gemstone... 🙏🙏🙏

  • @RIZWANAHAMED2001
    @RIZWANAHAMED2001 Год назад +1

    Great documentary. Keep up your work.

  • @sankanalinnalin2425
    @sankanalinnalin2425 Год назад +12

    I had a mining at Rathnapura.When every Jem is sold, a portion goes to the all workers,
    Example,
    land owner 20%,
    license owner 10% ,
    The bearer of the expenses of the mine 30% or 40%
    all workers 30%
    If they get a gem with a very high value, they will become rich overnight, That is why they continue to do this job..

    • @fidelcatsro6948
      @fidelcatsro6948 Год назад +1

      Wow looks like the miners didnt tell us entirely about the icing behind the cake left on the cats fur!!

    • @cutetiny6144
      @cutetiny6144 Год назад

    • @aboroginal
      @aboroginal Год назад

      💯 correct

    • @aboroginal
      @aboroginal Год назад

      & they didn’t mention about how much they steal from and sold it to middle men as well.. and these middle men have corrupted the miners so they can buy for cheap.

    • @pamelagearhart9251
      @pamelagearhart9251 Год назад +1

      Ummm...what expenses of the mine?? It's a hole with terrible conditions and the workers have to go out in jungle to get stuff to make it a mine...so what expenses...shovels? Please don't be so insulting to these workers they are the ones doing risking everything!

  • @marcusmiro7481
    @marcusmiro7481 Год назад +9

    The stress on Piyaseeli's face at 12:13 is heartbreaking. It's so disgusting that someone makes so, so, so, so, so much off of their labor, and this woman and her husband have to make choices between food, medicine, and other necessities. Subhuman trash runs the world. These people deserve comfort and security. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS for some stupid rock and these people have never known what it's like to go to bed without being terrified of the future. And the cruelest part of all this is that if they could sell a single one of those useless rocks themselves, they would never need to work again. Our world is so sick and broken.

  • @vasilbutrakov7330
    @vasilbutrakov7330 Год назад +2

    Netflix: Still watching?
    Somebodys daughter: 10:19

  • @ronjeffery12345
    @ronjeffery12345 Год назад

    Videos like this really puts things into perspective… normal everyday life in the city is something they’ll probably never get …. Gotta b more grateful for sure🤝✅

  • @deegeeyvon
    @deegeeyvon Год назад +4

    Here in Philippines we called that "Patola" it's very delicious veggies and very common to be ingredient of Pansit bihon. Sometimes we can used it too to be rubbing for bath.😁

  • @kitabGo
    @kitabGo Год назад +14

    It's such heart breaking to see people working in these conditions. I have 2 to 5 caret Ceylon sapphires in My fingers and Now I know that their is great betrayal to the mining workers involved between the mines and our fingers

  • @yourseat859
    @yourseat859 Год назад +2

    Respect from Sri Lanka 🧡

  • @malicemike6875
    @malicemike6875 Год назад +1

    Bruh if i was a miner id be burning down some multi story houses until id get a better wage lmao

  • @Mischiefcity2013
    @Mischiefcity2013 Год назад +11

    These guys are busting their asses, so we in developed nations can enjoy a high quality of life. God bless them, and I wish that companies will make their supply chains more transparent in the future, so that consumers can decide what practices they want to support.

  • @goldnugget1987
    @goldnugget1987 Год назад +3

    The work is extraordinary, friends... Greetings, gold prospectors from Indonesia🙏🏼👍👌✌️💖🇮🇩

  • @kevbe144
    @kevbe144 Год назад +1

    9:55 imagine finding that stone and not knowing its worth $300mil lol, i hope that guy got a raise

  • @john6yui
    @john6yui 3 дня назад

    I’m Sri Lankan , this is the first time I saw underground gem mining in Sri Lanka.

  • @SHERGENIUS8
    @SHERGENIUS8 Год назад +9

    Beautiful people

  • @michaelcharlesthearchangel
    @michaelcharlesthearchangel Год назад +4

    I love these gem 💎 lovers. We all live off of God's stones if you sell or mine precious crystals.

    • @janececelia7448
      @janececelia7448 Год назад

      Sounds like you kind of missed the point of the video.

    • @AA-eq2zq
      @AA-eq2zq Год назад +2

      Pretty rocks certainly aren't worth death and suffering. No one should work this job.
      If you have money, give it to workers - help them out of their suffering - instead of enabling and enriching their employers so you can have a pretty rock.

  • @konara261
    @konara261 4 месяца назад +1

    Thank You Very Much For This Valuable ❤ Documentary. Highly Respect You ❤

  • @visukasaman6052
    @visukasaman6052 8 месяцев назад +3

    I’m from Ratnapura and I’m proud of my city❤❤

  • @Hexagonius-js8tl
    @Hexagonius-js8tl Год назад +7

    I’ve been to a Sri Lankan moonstone mine before

  • @PhyNarith_OfficialTrip
    @PhyNarith_OfficialTrip Год назад +1

    I am really love this kind of video, thanks for your sharing

  • @MischeifMakerz
    @MischeifMakerz Год назад +1

    Great documentary

  • @DeltaXMusic
    @DeltaXMusic 11 месяцев назад +13

    i want to go to sri lanka, buy some gems directly from miners, and donate to each of the families. its amazing how such a small amount of money could literally be life changing for these individuals

    • @ericwtfsky
      @ericwtfsky 9 месяцев назад +1

      it just said they pay $3 for milk lol thats the same price we pay. theyre just MAKING small amounts of money, if we give them a small amount it wouldn't do anything.

    • @Customer-th6rt
      @Customer-th6rt Месяц назад

      It looks like you failed

  • @VendettaProspecting
    @VendettaProspecting Год назад +3

    Let’s gooooo!!! Get that gold 💨😶‍🌫️

  • @rizukie
    @rizukie Год назад +1

    it's ironic for people that getting valuable gems but still working risking their live

  • @ElamiteFreeMan
    @ElamiteFreeMan 4 месяца назад +1

    May you don't believe me but in my country Iran Those gemstones exist in the plains on the ground, you don't even need to create a mine. Just spray water on the stones and the colors will be determined and test them in front of the sun !!

  • @doxielain2231
    @doxielain2231 Год назад +14

    This species does really strange things for shiny rocks.

  • @claytonevans5721
    @claytonevans5721 Год назад +4

    The miners should start their own collective to get fair prices for their gems and have the UN supplement payments to mines who refill in old mines etc

  • @cernunnos_lives
    @cernunnos_lives Год назад

    Amazing to see ancient river deposits these brave guys have unearthed.

  • @user-zi3fk9mg6s
    @user-zi3fk9mg6s Год назад +1

    Thank you for Visiting Sri Lanka 😊

  • @Ellen5904
    @Ellen5904 Год назад +2

    May God bless them all ! ❤❤

  • @lakshidissanayake2017
    @lakshidissanayake2017 Год назад +15

    I'm from Rathnapura, The life of the miner is sad. Gem businessmen of Ratnapura are very rich people. Our area is lush with gemstones, tea, rubber and coconuts. Therefore, no matter how many economic crises there are, no one will be hungry. Ratnapura is a hidden beautiful area where the tourism industry does not take place.

  • @Bandara91
    @Bandara91 9 месяцев назад +1

    To be honest this is the most ethical way of mining which keeps environmental pollution to the minimum otherwise using machinery will lead to a mass destruction of environment.

  • @lisizecha9759
    @lisizecha9759 Год назад +1

    This could easily be industrialized, so the only child will be sitting in a climatized cab of an excavator with spotify and sub woofer.

  • @khmerghost
    @khmerghost Год назад +3

    I am so happy at my job after seeing how hard they are trying to make a living.

  • @williamadamsjap
    @williamadamsjap Год назад +3

    Land of gems and pearls!

  • @yippiebees4801
    @yippiebees4801 4 месяца назад +1

    This is a very nice video and thank you so much! ❤ But it is not true that mine workers get such a low pay. This weekly amount is given only for their weekly expenses. They are entitled to a share of the profit when they find gems. It is divided as a percentage. This is a customary law and this is how it has operated for generations. It is a gamble because if you don't find gems, this is all you get. There is no concept as salary in Sri Lankan gem trade. Only a very few workers work for daily labour and their daily wage is more than the amount stated ($3). Those who are paid weekly are usually shareholding workers. But it is very true that the middleman earns the most. Most of the time, even the gem mine owner doesn't make so much money compared to the middle man. And there are a few layers of middle men before the gems reach the final buyer. Most of the low layer middlemen nowadays started off as mine workers.
    So would appreciate it if you get the facts right about it. If you have any doubts, you are most welcome to visit again.

  • @pzykael6916
    @pzykael6916 Год назад +2

    Miners where I'm from used to make next to nothing. Now fast forward a hundred years later, working conditions are much better, they are paid very well in fact they can't get enough workers and guess what the mining companies still make $$. Pay your people better treat them better or it will come back to haunt you or your offspring. I could see one day people just smuggling gems out and the middlemen will be out of work.

    • @pzykael6916
      @pzykael6916 Год назад

      I said a hundred years but really my grandfather worked underground before and after WW2 and they were payed poorly and working conditions still hadn't improved. Things didn't change for some time. Considering people make at least 60-70000 USD a year mining in my area(and working only 6 months of the year, 2 weeks on 2 off) paying people 3$ a day is disgraceful, especially when you can afford to pay your people more and are living lavishly.

  • @mac23806
    @mac23806 Год назад +3

    It's terrible these guys risk their lived for gemstones that go for so much money but never get to see the fruits of their labor

  • @asankajayaweera7212
    @asankajayaweera7212 Год назад +7

    Gem industry has made a disastrous ecological issues in Rathnapura area. That city is always flooded even a small rain falls down.

  • @nathanloosemore4141
    @nathanloosemore4141 8 месяцев назад

    Find a gem as a miner. Eat the gem. Finish work. Call in next day and say sorry boss I quit. 😂

  • @Cola64
    @Cola64 Год назад +1

    Construction looks better than most old gold mines in early days in the US

  • @sinduar
    @sinduar Год назад +6

    Thank you for sharing this video and promoting our country ❤

    • @janececelia7448
      @janececelia7448 Год назад

      Idiot. They were NOT promoting your country. Your asinine comment could not be further from the truth. OMG! This video was denigrating your country and rightfully so. Watch the video again.

  • @jixer1495
    @jixer1495 Год назад +4

    This is the story of every corporation pretty much. The guys at the top make millions and the guys doing all the labor are barely making ends meet.

  • @Jackaboy1476
    @Jackaboy1476 Год назад +2

    To think your favorite jewelry could be worth 10K and the guy who found the gem made less than a Mcdonalds chicken sandwich. And we wonder why there are so many billionaires in the world today. So wrong.

  • @chocolateteapot5162
    @chocolateteapot5162 Год назад +4

    The push towards net zero won't be kind to the poorest of people

    • @fidelcatsro6948
      @fidelcatsro6948 Год назад +1

      Thats why we need more Fidel Castos!

    • @GOLDSMITHEXILE
      @GOLDSMITHEXILE Год назад

      but it will benefit the biggest players new green industrial complex, nice government sunsidies if you can get them

  • @defeatSpace
    @defeatSpace Год назад +5

    Well heck, slipping a gem or so into your pocket every month won't really change the bottom lines for mine owners.

    • @ajithpremaratne6103
      @ajithpremaratne6103 Год назад +1

      The thing is even if they do that. When they go to sell it the buyers hold the pricing power

    • @erroneous6947
      @erroneous6947 Год назад +1

      You still have to find somebody to sell it too. And I think they all work together.

    • @defeatSpace
      @defeatSpace Год назад +1

      @@ajithpremaratne6103 You don't, horde them and let your kid deal with the laundering hassle.

    • @fidelcatsro6948
      @fidelcatsro6948 Год назад

      i like you!
      youd make a great revolutionary leader like me someday 🐱👍🏿

  • @J2nick
    @J2nick Год назад +1

    3 dollars to mine “ RARE “ Gems, then reach to States and worth thousands and millions . This world we live in is crazy 😢

  • @thesaints-7-andrew.
    @thesaints-7-andrew. Год назад +1

    Watching from Greece.hi everybody.
    Very interesting video.

  • @sampathweerasinghe4350
    @sampathweerasinghe4350 9 месяцев назад +5

    I'm from sri lanka 🇱🇰.i love my country.our country is very beautiful country.there are a lot of resources here.but our country is exploited by our politicians.😢😢😢

    • @audreyh6628
      @audreyh6628 8 месяцев назад

      There are many men exploiting these miners, not just politicians. The gem sellers and jewellers should be so ashamed of themselves.

  • @sasankasamarathunga6637
    @sasankasamarathunga6637 Год назад +5

    As a Sri Lankan I want to thank you for this invaluable documentary programme. We all are facing difficulties.Poluted governments ruined our lives.

    • @cutetiny6144
      @cutetiny6144 Год назад

      Corrupted*

    • @janececelia7448
      @janececelia7448 Год назад

      Refreshing to see someone from Sri Lanka give an honest opinion about their country.

  • @vks6573
    @vks6573 9 месяцев назад +2

    If gems have the power & capacity of a planet by changing fortunes of a person, then why these miners are still poverty ridden??? 😊😊😊

  • @dominoskagolgappa
    @dominoskagolgappa Год назад +2

    Best quality gems available there in Srilanka

  • @anujadilshan5868
    @anujadilshan5868 Год назад +6

    ලන්කාවෙ කෙනෙක් ගෙ comment එකක් නේද හොයන්නෙ 😂😂

  • @menalikavindya
    @menalikavindya Год назад +3

    Even being a srilankan ,I'be never seen such a detailed video about jem mining