This picture was taken looking down into one of our sapphire mines in the mining region of Ratnapura in Sri Lanka. It has been dug completely by hand and is reinforced with heavy timbers to keep the shaft form caving in. This is a major concern as the heavy rains come during the rainy season. Because of this we have limited access to the mine and can only operate for 8 or 9 months out of the year. Needless to say we need to take advantage of the weather while we can.