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Sri Lankan officials say the world’s largest star sapphire cluster was accidentally found in the backyard.
According to a gem merchant, the stone was discovered by a worker who dug a well at his home in the gem-rich Ratnapura area.
According to experts, pale blue stones have an estimated value of up to $ 100 million in the international market.
The cluster weighs about 510 kilograms or 2.5 million carats and is called “serendipity sapphire”.
“A person digging a well warned us about a rare stone. Later we came across this huge specimen,” the stone owner, Gammage, told the BBC.
He didn’t want to give his full name or location for security reasons.
Gamage, a third-generation gem merchant, informed authorities of the discovery, but it took more than a year to clean mud and other impurity stones before they could analyze and prove it. ..
During the cleaning process, Gammage said some stones fell from the cluster and turned out to be high quality star sapphires.
Ratnapura, which means the city of jewelry in Sinhala, is known as the capital of jewelry in South Asian countries. Other precious stones were found there in the past.
Sri Lanka is a major exporter of sapphires and other precious gems.
Last year, the country earned about $ 500 million through exports of jewelry, cut diamonds and jewelery.
“I’ve never seen such a large specimen, which was probably formed about 400 million years ago,” renowned gemologist Dr. Gamini Zosa told the BBC.
Experts also point out that even if the specimen has a high carat value, not all stones in the cluster may be of high quality.
This discovery arises because the Sri Lankan jewelry industry suffered losses as a result of the blockade caused by the pandemic.
People working in the industry now want “serendipity stones” to attract international buyers and professionals.
“This is a special star sapphire specimen, probably the largest in the world. Given its size and value, I think you’re interested in individual collectors and museums,” said Tyrac of the National Gem and Jewelery Department in Sri Lanka. Weera Singe said. Said.
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