GREAT SERVICE, GREAT PRODUCT AND ON-TIME DELIVERY! The Sapphire ring is gorgeous with so many beautiful colors. Their customer service was very helpful. I was able to chat one on one with the director of the company as to why the sapphire was so special to this country. They are professionals who know their stuff. They educate the customer, to make a better informed decision on purchasing a coloured gem stone. It was an unforgettable experience. We had some fun when it came to the price. They were very flexible. And even promised to deliver it to my hotel (which they did) along with relevant certificates Thank You!!!!!

Giving this review because of the uneasy feeling I have after buying there. The system they have is similar to a scam, some random guy will talk to you on the street and in one way or another the gem conversation will come up. He will tell you there is a great place ruled by the government and supported by all the premium hotels and magically a tuktuk will appear and charge you 50 rps to go to this place. Once the you won't be even able to think. The pressure to buy is constant and the start price super high. Manipulation techniques are applied constantly to get the maximum money from you as they can. In this atmosphere I bought a couple a topaz necklace and a topaz bracelet. They charged me 30 euros (starting at 60) and 150 euros (starting at 340). After checking the quality with other jeweler I realized the price is fair but the gems and silver is real. In my case I wouldn't recommend to go there because of the pressure for buying and the continuous tricks they are throwing on you. As another example most of the positive reviews have only one review (I believe they are trying to compensate for the real (bad reviews) artificially). I attached the thing I bought anyway.

Éviter. C'est une arnaque à 100%. It is 100% scam. Low quality gems and jewellery. Karma gets you someday. October 06th 2023 huge tree fell on a bus next to Gem Bureau and killed 5 people and injured 12. Gem Bureau trick people to buy very low quality gems . Not sure how many scammers at Gem Bureau got injured but do not trick people because karma follows you . It is sad and When I saw the news I thought the employees who scammed me kicked the bucket but it was 5 passengers inside the bus. These employees do not have any shame or any consideration of customers view after selling low quality gems and jewellery. It was a huge Roberosiya tree fell on Route 42 Deniyaya to Colombo bus. But Gem Bureau employees should not ignore their bad karma of tricking foreignors and people with a huge profit margin for them by selling very low quality gems. I did not read all these bad reviews on Google maps.

As everyone who's been tricked into coming here knows, it's a scam. A well-dressed man will casually approach you on the street, he'll compliment you in some way, and will then tell you about a "really great jewellery store, with 50% off, today only". Next thing, a tuk-tuk pulls up. At this point, politely decline and walk away, otherwise you might end up at Gem Bureau. It's a scam. The gems are of extremely low quality and the jewellery is poor. The sales techniques are VERY heavy and you will feel a lot of pressure to buy. But please, do yourself a favour and walk away, otherwise you might end up with a hugely overpriced bit of trash.

Like all below it is a well planned out scam. The store it self is nice and has good gems on show. Doing business by scamming is not right. I have been spending generously to drivers and any local shops through out this holiday but would not buy at all simple principle really. Just be honest and tell people and I'm sure there would be some interested customers who would come and spread the words. If you don't want to buy gems just don't entertain the scammers simple.

Huge scam, beware! Same approach as all others in here... last day of the sale blah blah blah. Fortunately my girlfriend and I read the reviews before we were conned and walked out of the shop. The manager was really angry! Got approached by 4 people during the holiday pushing this exact scam. Don’t fall for it! Notice that all the positive reviews are left by reviewers with just one post. Suspicious?

They have people in the streets that send you there for whatever reasons. Every day they say that it’s the last day of the sale haha Pathetic. They are very pushy; it’s frustrating. Just don’t go to this place or when you feel like it’s time to leave, just leave. Don’t listen their "Sir! Sir! We want you to have a good deal! What is your budget! Blah blah. They are pretty fun to listen.... play the game for 10 minutes lol

!BEWARE! The Gem Bureu is involved in a popular tourist scam where they take you to this place after taking you to the temple (which has so called once per year event). Once the tuk tuk driver forces you to go inside, the seller will use some sleasy manipulative tactics to try to get you buy the overpriced jewellery in any means possible. They are saying everything is 50% off for one day but in reality, nothing is discounted! We were approaches bt random people offering this ‘opportunity’ for 6-7 times we were at Colombo (different days, different people but same principles) AVOID!

These guys are absolute cheaters to us tourists . A fe months ago, i made a gold ring from the place. They were really friendly nd attentive, so i did trust them. But it was really sad when i found out that the ring was a fake. it was gold plated. I dont know what the hell happened to all the gold i gave to them.

Amazing collection of sapphires I’ve never seen before. Very friendly staff. From the door-man to salesman to the directors! What an amazing country. Will definitely recommend to all my friends and family. God bless you all.

WARNING - SCAM - DO NOT BUY Please do not make the same mistake as me. They are selling way above the value of the gem. Same story some guy says hello on the street, Tuk Tuk appears, they talk about a 50% sale for one day only, pressure to buy is incredible once in the place. Avoid it.

It is a tourist trap. They have touts pretending to be hotel staff who take you there and possibly get a cut from the purchase. If they don't rip you off on the stones they will rip you off on the purity of gold. Thats what happened to us. We discovered this only when we took it to our local jeweller in India. Avoid this place. Its a rip off.

Very poor quality!! We bought a ring at this place with Blue and white Saphirs. After two days one Saphire was already lost. Avoid going there!!!

I knew from the beginning that it was a scam, but on my last day I wanted to get an inexpensive sapphire ring. I got what I wanted; in less than 3 weeks one of the stones fell out, and they don't even respond to emails. AVOID this place

SCAM! Quotes 1000 dollars for cheap products. Just look how cheap the merchandise looks. Also most probably some businessman will strike up a conversation with you and say that a special sale up to 50% is going on. But come on, you cannot sell saphire, gold or silver for half the market price.

Like many of the reviewers before me, I had the same experience regarding the friendly guy on the street, the Tuk Tuk, the temple tour, the gemstone shop with the one-day-only sale. The pressure was palpable. I didn't buy anything as the honesty was missing from the beginning of the whole interaction.

A scam frequently encountered in Colombo involves a smartly dressed individual who specifically seeks out foreigners. This person, exuding friendliness, approaches tourists, often claiming to be a police officer or a port official. He engages them in casual conversation, asking about their homeland and chatting amiably. His proposition? To show them the authentic, non-touristic parts of Colombo. Once he gains the tourists' trust, a tuk-tuk conveniently arrives to begin the tour. The scammer, displaying a counterfeit police ID, instructs the tuk-tuk driver in a way that makes it clear: avoid the typical tourist spots and head to unique, lesser-known areas. The language barrier becomes evident as the tuk-tuk driver seems to not understand English, indicating that the arrangement is pre-planned. The tour starts off innocuously, with visits to a few tourist locations. However, the real motive becomes apparent when the tourists are taken to the Gem Bureau in Colombo. Here, they face the high likelihood of being swindled, often pressured into purchasing fake or substandard jewelry.

A little late on the feedback/review, but i feel that this place deserved it. It was a Great experience from start to finish. We were unable to get this type of necklace made for a reasonable price anywhere and had almost given up until we came across GBC. Thanks for working with us to ensure the right design and getting it to us in time for Christmas! Highly recommend GBC and we will certainly be coming back to them in the future!

On 9-9-2023 I was walking toward my hotel in Colombo, suddenly grabbed by a took took driver stating that he has young children and need money and if I go with him he would get free fuel Practically that young man kidnapped me to a jewelry shop,surrounded by bunch of men playing a game I bought a bracelet (ruby) all the verbal information by those men were total lies Heavily charged I took my bracelet to multiple evaluators all stated that bracelet worth much much less than what I paid This dealers gave me a certificate which did not have a correct information including wrong weight and no details I have contacted them so so many times they agreed to refund me and I wanted to send the item by post Every day owner makes another excuse and another game. I am another victim of of this corrupt business.

Had a greqat time picking out a stone for my wife. We went with the BLUE SAPHIRE and are more than happy with the outcome. Mr Riza Salim new everything there was to know and gave a personal experience. When we retun next year we will revisit the shop and hopefully grab another great product

The certificate sapphire and noncertificate sapphires that purchased are Genuine ( tested ) and I love it . Since didn weilded with FOC white Gold as Promised (instead using only 925) , misunderstood that this is a scam shop ; with this , I sincerely Apologised☺️ However, still given 3stars ☺️😅 and these 3stars is all given for jewellery Quality &Aesthetic that I paid for ; Zero star given for WAY OF SELLING PRODUCTS. They claimed that they are “cheapest” (Lie)in town ; They PAID CoMmision to Tuk Tuk upon the purchase after I Read All comments that some faced same situation as me (NO WONDER TUK TUK INSISTED To Drive Me to despite I Repeatedly refused ) 🤦🏽‍♀️😂😅 Tuk driver followed my instruction for every demanding That had requested ; EXCEPT this refusal ; This is Not good way in selling products. Seller should just to be frank to explain to customers why yours is 1-3times more expensive(that is big difference depends on total Ct u purchase) and what is the outstanding of ur products compared with others, instead of using wrong methods ... The comment is subjective Now —Personally Feel the one that I had is somehow more shiny and attractive than the one (about 1time cheaper than mine For Same Ct ; that is big different in price ) from the nearby shop.

I highly recommend this company. I contacted them with a vision. However I had absolutely no knowledge of metals and the process to achieve different looks. They were extremely patient and professional. They walked me through each process. I had a contact person for the whole thing. They captured my vision perfectly. I can't wait for Our Wedding Day, and the look on my future husband's face when he sees the creation. I will be creating another piece with Gem Bureau again. Thank You for making this a pleasurable process. By the way they issued all relevant certificates.

On our way back from Galle Face our Tuktuk driver took us there, not our destination, and gave us a sales pitch that they're having a half-price Gem Sale. Watch out tourist, for Tuktuk drivers and Gem sale! I was told by the Tuktuk driver that they get vouchers for 2L of petrol from this establishment.

This place was advised to us by several people. The gentleman who welcomed us was always very polite, friendly, and took the time to explain their different variety of Semi precious and precious gemstones. They have an impressive range of jewellery as well as you can create your own! That’s what we did! From choosing the stone to the model of rings, we couldn’t be happier! Also super fast service, done to the next day and they even delivered to our hotel! Needless to say if you want an unforgettable piece this is the place to go. As a tourist is crucial to go to certified trusted place, where locals go too. Big istuti!

Rip-off / tourist trap to me (people in front of your hotel, pretending to be hotel staff, will catch you and send you there via a tuk tuk - probably to get a cut). There they will state that only today you will get a 50% discount... My recommendation: Leave! Do NOT buy spontaneously! Inform yourself first about reasonable sapphire prices etc

I had the same experience as everyone big scam, the certification they give you is not genuine and the price that they’re selling the stone is 20 times higher than the original price. I managed to get my refund because I had lodged police complaint. Please go to the tourist police division in Colombo, and they will help you. Police station address - Number 78.galle road colombo 03

They have some sort of deal with tuk tuk drivers and guides in town. They took us there without our permission and than try to push us to buy something. What a joke practices in 21st century.

Was recommended by my close friend. Excellent selection of sapphires. I will definitely come back for more. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Ltl expensive. But I guess that’s the price u pay for quality. And I checked around. The quality of their gemstones were far better than most Neighbouring shops.

I was recommended by a friend or the Director himself. Very satisfied with my purchase.

Was brought here by one of the hoteliers. Or so they say. I needed to get something for my mother for her birthday. They gave me assurance that all their products are certified and will give me a full refund if the sapphire or anything on the article was fake. Got it checked at the relevant authorities and the goods turned out to be legit. No complaints on the shop.

This is one of the places the tuk tuk drivers take you as there's always a 50% off sale. Obviously the drivers get a kick back for bringing unsuspecting tourists here. Spoiler...there is no 50% discount

They replicated an original Cartier necklace that I’ve been wanting to get for my wife for a very long time. And it costed me a fraction of catalog price.

(Translated by Google) expensive. But sapphire of very good quality. Trustworthy businessman. Very good gentleman. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 (Original) 昂贵。但质量非常好的蓝宝石。值得信赖的商人。 Very good gentleman. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Very unique jewelry. Very impressive.

Was taken here by tuktuk after a guy on the street told me about the sale. This is located on the main road in downtown colombo. Very friendly people. Had a 1 on 1 chat with the director, Mr. Sharfraz Salim. He seemed to be a very knowledgeable gentleman. Didn’t try to push me into buying something. They had a very interesting selection of colored stones for different prices varying from $1 to 1 million! And he was nice enough to show me a few of the “investment pieces”. I ended up getting a sapphire ring made and had it delivered to my hotel that evening. Next day I was approached by another guy telling me about a sale at a different shop. Got me thinking. I went straight back to the hotel and took the ring to the government authorities. Got it checked and it was indeed a sapphire. And they also said that it was of a above average quality. I’m not happy about the way I was brought to this shop but I don’t regret the purchase. They have a weird way of marketing themselves but as long as they aren’t cheating their customers I guess it’s sort of acceptable. Product: 5/5 Price: 3/5 Place: 5/5 Promotion: 2/5 Salesmanship: 5/5

Finally I got very good quality of the stone and genuine and the sales person Mazz was very polite and very nice i high recommend this store to everyone

Very nice place to go

Tourists all over the world has to be very careful when visiting Srilanka especially Colombo. There are lot of fake people who would say that GEMS SALE EXHIBITION is going on and it would close early and eventually end you up in taking to Gems store through a local Tuk Tuk 🛺. The carrier vehicle usually takes you to a Gem Bureau Colombo. There is no validity or authenticity of Gems. They give one fake authentication card and claims to be from National Gem authority which is false. The most important thing a tourist needs to be careful is DONT TALK TO ANY UNKNOWN PERSON WHO WOULD FAMILIARISE YOU WITH COUNTRY OR REGION and GEMS EXHIBITION SALE

Quite a sophisticated scam. Someone who appears quite affluent with an ID tag saying they worked with the government brought me here. Place looks legit. But if you read the other reviews, clearly something is suspicious here...

Cheaters. Tourist scam. The prices are too high for the quality they offer. Beware of some local "gentlemen" recommending you to go there, organising Tuk Tuk to go there and waste your money!

The changes are if you have end up here it has been with a tuk tuk driver or with a guide. Their sole purpose being trying to get a hefty commission on your purchases which are tirelessly being pushed here. The “sale that ends today” is a scam! You would want to make your gem purchases in a professional and reliable venue, so choose another one. If you read this while already being inside, do yourself a favour and walk immediately out.

Cheaters!!! Beware.. They count a lot of money. Stones are not real!!! Tourist scam!!! Don't buy anything. Don't accept cards on the street from this company. It's maffia!!! We complained and than we have to leave store.. Never got in again because they know they were wrong!!!

I highly recommend the Gem Bureau. I bought my wife a rather large blue sapphire from them as a surprise but after about two weeks she changed her mind because she didn't like the colour and wanted to return it. I contacted them about it and they were quite happy to refund the money. We returned the ring and they refunded the money straight away. However, my wife bought another sapphire of the colour she liked from them and she is very happy with it. We admire their genuineness and sincerity and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone who would like to buy genuine jewellery. The staff are very courteous and accommodating.

I had previously reviewed that you need to be very careful when shopping at the Gem Bureau. After much discussion, the Gem Bureau agreed to my returning the sapphire in question for a full refund. This is what I wanted all along and am satisfied with the result. The matter is now satisfactorily resolved.

Loved my experience at this store. The staff were so accommodative and honestly they could sell ice to an eskimo. Awesome selection of gems and I was surprised at how fast they custom made the jewelry I wanted. Mr Shafraz (Director) was extremely gracious and we loved that he worked with us one on one to decide on the best piece. My friend and I felt like we were in Willy Vonka’s chocolate factory. Thank you Gem Bureau for such fabulous service.

(Translated by Google) Save big (Original) Gem store

They try to scam you

My wife and I were on our honeymoon in Sri Lanka when we came across this store while taking a walk on our very 1st day right in the center of downtown Colombo. Purchased a beautiful sapphire bracelet but it was too big so they said they’d resize it for us and had it delivered with all the necessary documentation. They even got us a great deal on a 2 day tour down south with their driver which Liz loved! Thank you so much for giving us that unforgettable experience.

Would like to share my best experience I had with the team of Gem Bureau Colombo. I had a custom earring made with not much time and they were able to bring what I had in mind to reality. Rimzi and the team were so friendly, flexible, and transparent throughout the whole process, which really made the experience fun and stress-free! Thank you so much! I would definitely recommend them and will re-visit when I’m next in Sri Lanka.

Super expensive

Anyone visiting Srilanka can not afford to miss buying gems and stones. The speciality is in stones and hence fixed in Italian white silver and not in gold and you can spend on stones only. Reliable service with assurance for exchange in future. Go there for variety. Worth visiting.

Brilliant find, customer service excellent and great value for money. I’ve read many of the reviews in here but the taj hotel recommended this place and I know they would only do so because of trust on quality and customer service. I have shopped at many other jewellers, sallies, vogue jewelry, Zak gem shops and this store has the best quality, price and customer service. They have a good range of jewelry but the beauty is you give them an idea and they will create for you in 1 day. Please ask for sharfraz. Also do not buy in galle as there prices are double this. We did buy jewelry from there and felt cheated

Scam shop. Auto guy will tell you 50% off / today last day / government shop. :) Stay away

Great place to buy Jewelry

Friendly, but they are a commercial enterprise and not a museum. Bling Bling is not my bag but they had some pebbles which were attractive.

Fair ratings, Thay have good quality Gems they catch costumers and not to be left hanging. They entertain and welcome well. As i observe from my shop to shop visit the'll put price in The back of the gem container claiming that is the original price and it is verry high compared to others. But i can assure its quality also. Its a marketing strategy. After purchasing i asked the prices individualy thru facebook for some of my friends would like to buy the gems. And will buy again to Gem Bereau but sad thing they didnt provide.

Got a lovely little pair of white sapphire earrings for my girlfriend as an early Christmas gift. The I was recommended by one of the senior staff members at the Shangri La.