the huge specimen, which is worth £72 million ($A136 million), last year. However, it has taken several months for a declaration of the discovery to be finalised. This process involves the removal of mud and other impurities from the mammoth stone so that experts could analyse its quality before certifying.
The district of Ratnapura, located in the Sabaragamuwa Province, is known as the ‘gem-mining centre’ of Sri Lanka. Foreign bids are currently pouring in for the pale-blue 2.5million carat gem, dubbed ‘Serendipity Sapphire’. According to Sri Lanka’s National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA), royal representatives are among those bidding for a piece of the huge specimen. “This gem stone was discovered in Kahawatte in the Ratnapura District and we cannot disclose further details of the precise location due to security concerns,” the authority’s chairman, Thilak Weerasinghe, said.
“It is a special star sapphire specimen, probably the biggest in the world,” he added. “Given the size and its value, we think it will interest private collectors or museums.”
Authorities have confirmed that since the Star Sapphire was discovered in private property, it belongs to the landowner, Mr Gamage. It is currently being kept in a safe at the Bank of Ceylon, after being transferred for safekeeping under heavy security.
The blue sapphire is unique to Sri Lanka, a country which is known as the “Sapphire capital of the world”. The NGJA says it is “the national gemstone” of the island nation, while they are “world renowned” for their uniqueness in colour, quality and clarity.
