Frequently asked questions
The things people ask before their first transaction. If yours is not here, just ask us.
For sellers
Nothing. Listing is free, for as many stones as you like, for as long as you like. ManikPola charges a brokerage commission of 5% to the seller, and only when a transaction actually completes.
Every submission is reviewed by hand. In practice that means within 24 hours on a working day. You get an email the moment it is published — and if we need something changed, we tell you exactly what.
No. Buyer and seller contact details stay with the broker until a deal is agreed and both parties have consented. That protects you from time-wasters and protects both sides from being cut out of the transaction.
Once the buyer has received the stone and confirmed it matches the listing. Funds are secured before the stone leaves Sri Lanka, so you are never shipping into thin air.
Yes. Submit it with what you know and say so in the description. We can arrange identification and testing at a recognised Colombo laboratory before it goes live.
Any time, from your account — unless a deal is already in progress on it, in which case talk to us first.
For buyers
Not at all. It opens a conversation. You can ask questions, request extra photographs or video, and walk away at any point before payment.
Yes, and for any significant purchase we recommend it. If the stone does not already have one, ask us and we will arrange testing in Colombo before any money moves.
We review every listing before publication and we ask for reshoots when images look manipulated. You can also request video under daylight and incandescent light — we will get it for you.
Payment is held by the broker and released to the seller only after you have received and accepted the stone.
Yes — insured, tracked courier with full Sri Lankan export documentation. Import duty and taxes in your own country are your responsibility, so check them before you commit.
Usually, yes. Send us the variety, carat range, colour and budget. We work with sellers across every Sri Lankan gem district and can often source specific material within a few weeks.
About the stones
Most sapphire and ruby on the world market is heat treated to improve colour and clarity — this is normal and accepted. Stones that have never been heated are much rarer and carry a substantial premium, which is why the distinction must be certified rather than claimed.
The great majority are. Where a stone comes from elsewhere, the listing says so plainly. We do not pass off foreign material as Ceylon.
A sapphire showing a delicate mixture of pink and orange, named after the lotus blossom. The boundaries of the term are genuinely contested between laboratories, so for anything expensive insist on a report from a top-tier lab.
Colour saturation, clarity, cut quality, treatment status and certified origin. Two stones of identical weight can differ by fifty times in value on those factors alone — which is precisely why the description and the report matter more than the carat figure.
Account & site
No. One account does both.
Use the "forgot password" link on the sign-in page. A reset link valid for two hours is emailed to you.
Contact us and we will remove your account and personal data, subject to any records we are legally required to retain for completed transactions.