Editor’s Note
This article describes the remarkable discovery of a massive sapphire in Sri Lanka, reportedly weighing 510 kilograms (2.5 million carats) and valued at an estimated $10 million. While the find is extraordinary, readers should note that independent verification of the gemstone’s exact specifications and valuation is pending.
It is said that no one knows when someone’s fortune might turn. Something similar happened to a man in Sri Lanka who was digging a well in his house and stumbled upon the world’s largest sapphire stone. Its value has been estimated at $10 million or 7.43 billion rupees in the international market. Its enormity can be gauged from the fact that this sapphire is 2.5 million carats.
This massive sapphire weighs about 510 kilograms. It is believed to be the world’s largest sapphire. According to a BBC report, the family that found this sapphire has been involved in buying and selling gems in the Ratnapura area for three generations. The owner of the sapphire, Gamage, said,
Gamage immediately informed the authorities. This discovery of the sapphire happened a year ago.
The sapphire was so large that it took a full year just to clean it. After that, it was properly examined and certified. Ratnapura is known as the gem capital of the world, and this discovery has left even experts astonished. A gem expert, Dr. Gamini Zoysa, said that they had never seen such a large sapphire before. This sapphire was possibly formed 400 million years ago.
Experts said the value of this stone is about 7.43 billion rupees. Tilak Weerasinghe, Chairman of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority, said,