Editor’s Note
This article describes the extraordinary discovery of what is believed to be the world’s largest sapphire, unearthed by chance in a Sri Lankan backyard. Its staggering size and value remind us that remarkable fortune can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places.
Mr. Gamage originally just wanted to have a well built in his backyard. But now, the man from Sri Lanka is rich – stinking rich. By chance, workers in his garden stumbled upon the world’s largest sapphire.
This sensational find is a sapphire of superlatives: enormous, ancient, very heavy, extremely rare, and incredibly valuable.
The gigantic star sapphire weighs over half a ton, tipping the scales at a proud 510 kilograms. In the metric weight unit for determining gemstones, carats, this means: the massive chunk has a record mass of 2.5 million carats.
On the international market, experts estimate the pale blue stone could fetch up to 100 million US dollars (approximately 85 million euros).
The lucky stone has even been given a name. It is called the “Serendipity Sapphire” (translated as “Sapphire of Happy Coincidence”).
Dr. Gamini Zoysa, Gemmological Association of Sri Lanka (GASL)
According to the BBC, the lucky individual is none other than a gemstone dealer from Ratnapura (“City of Gems”) in the southeast of the island nation of Sri Lanka.
For his own safety, the owner does not want to disclose his exact place of residence and only revealed his surname, Gamage.
Owner Gamage, third-generation gemstone dealer
Gamage immediately informed the relevant national gem and jewelry authority of Sri Lanka about his accidental find. Authority employees then freed the stone from mud and other impurities. During the cleaning, some stones fell out of the cluster. An analysis has now revealed: they are high-quality star sapphires.
According to the BBC, the industry, which has been hit hard by COVID-19, hopes that the “Stone of Happy Coincidence” will now attract international buyers and experts. However, the stone would still need to be analyzed and authenticated by independent international experts.
Thilak Weerasinghe, the chairman of the national gem and jewelry authority, offers a possible answer: “Given its special size and value, we think it will be of interest to private collectors or museums.”