As you might already know, Sri Lanka, the pearl of the Indian Ocean is simply a land of treasures. Among all the wonderful marvels it houses, the valuable colorful gems this land offers are indeed significant. However, a discussion on the value of the gems from this splendid island came up recently in the world. That was because Sri Lanka was able to discover the world’s largest star sapphire cluster from its land. Of course, this became news that grabbed the attention of many. Hence, we thought of sharing with you more information on this discovery. Continue reading, to get to know about the largest sapphire cluster in the world!
From Where in Sri Lanka was this World’s Largest Star Sapphire Cluster Found?
This largest star sapphire cluster is from Ratnapura, the gem-rich area in this beautiful country. However, the discovery of this star sapphire cluster has been an accident!
As per the news, some workmen were digging a well in the backyard of a house. Accidentally, they came across this large substance. Since they noticed the features of a rare stone from it, they have informed the owner of the land about this specimen. Accordingly, the owner has taken steps to inform the authorities about this unidentified specimen. However, the authorities spent more than a year clearing the impurities from this cluster. And the interesting fact is that during this cleaning process, a few of the stones have fallen down, and they were identified to be high-quality star sapphires. Hence, the first prediction came out as this should be a star sapphire cluster. And yes, the prediction became true following the verification process.
However, the owner of the land from which this star sapphire cluster was found is known as Mr. Gamage. He is a businessman who belongs to the third generation of a gem trading family. Still, he avoids revealing more information about him and the exact place in which this cluster was there, owing to security purposes. Nevertheless, he is indeed lucky to get this valuable cluster from his land!
The Nature and the Value of the World’s Largest Star Sapphire Cluster
This star sapphire cluster, which is known as the ‘Serendipity Sapphire’, weighs 510 kilograms or 2.5 million carats. Further, it has a subtle pale blue hue. The National Gem and Jewellery Authority of Sri Lanka believes that this should be the world’s largest star sapphire cluster available at present.
Moreover, according to the verification of the authorities, the formation of this star sapphire cluster should be more than 400 million years old. Hence, they doubt whether the inner parts of this cluster would have the same grading as the outer star sapphires. Still, they too reveal that this is indeed a rare discovery. However, since parts of these clusters are not appropriate for ornaments or any other purpose, the authorities believe that this would interest the private gem collectors or museums. Nevertheless, according to the Sri Lankan experts, the estimated value of this large star sapphire cluster should exceed $100 million on the international market. However, the independent international gem experts did not get a chance to study this cluster yet. Let us see how they value this wonderful marvel.
The Impact this Discovery will have on the Sri Lankan Gem Industry
It is not a secret that many of the countries are facing issues owing to this pandemic situation. Of course, it is the same with Sri Lanka. In fact, this pandemic situation impacted the gem industry in Sri Lanka as well. However, in an era as such where this industry was facing huge losses, the discovery of this massive treasure happens to be a wonderful blessing.
Of course, it became a fine reason to have the attention of foreign gem traders back to this splendid island. Besides, there is a prediction that this discovery would dawn a new era to the Sri Lankan gem industry again. The authorities are planning to take this star sapphire cluster to an International Gem Exhibition which would take place in a foreign country within this year. In fact, the authorities are planning to transport it in a special flight, under special security. Their plan is to auction it there in that event considering the valuations of the independent international gem experts.
The Bottom Line
This magical island of Sri Lanka continues a legacy of millions of years of wonderful gem discoveries. And yes, this massive gem cluster, undoubtedly the world’s largest star sapphire cluster is to remain as a significant milestone in its legacy thus far. Of course, it proves again and again what a treasure trove this island is!
