The world’s largest star sapphire cluster has been accidentally unearthed in the backyard of Sri Lankan gem traders. The star cluster was found by a group of men who were digging a well in the home of Ratnapura-based gem traders.
As per the experts, the stone has pale-blue colour and has an estimated value of up to $100 million and reportedly the weight of the cluster is around 510 kilograms or 2.5 million carats.
Experts have named the cluster “Serendipity Sapphire.”
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Mr Gamage, an owner of the stone, told media website BBC, “The person who was digging the well alerted us about some rare stones. Later we stumbled upon this huge specimen.”
Gamage has informed the authorities about the find some years back, but the authorities waited for the cleaning process to complete to analyze and certify it. During the cleaning process, some small stones fell out of the cluster and they were found to b high-quality star sapphires, told the cluster owner.
An official at the National Gem and Jewellery Authority of Sri Lanka said to Ceylon Today, “It is a special star sapphire specimen, probably the biggest in the world. Given the size and its value, we think it will interest private collectors or museums.”
As renowned gemmologist, Dr Gamini Zoysa said, “I have never seen such a large specimen before. This was probably formed around 400 million years ago.”
Experts have stated that it is not compulsory that all stones inside the cluster would be of high carat value or quality.