Friday, February 05, 2016. Cataloged as a great find and a miracle of nature, the largest sapphire in the world was recently presented; certified by the Gemological Institute of Colombo. It is a 1,404.49 carat blue star sapphire, contained in a rock of approximately 99 pounds and has been documented by the gemologist Ashan Amarasinghe as the largest; thus surpassing the largest found so far of 1,395 carats.
Specialists have valued it between 100 and 175 million dollars. The A star sapphire classification, it is due to the reflection in the form of a six-pointed star that becomes evident on the surface of the gem after polishing.
The precious piece has been baptized by its owner as «The Star of Adam» in honor of the first man who inhabited the Planet. and that according to a Muslim legend when he was expelled from Paradise, he arrived in Sri Lanka; but his repentance for the original sin was so great that his tears bathed the entire island, becoming the gems that are found today throughout it.
Although this beautiful jewel was exhibited recently, local media claim that it would have been found in August 2015 in a mine in the city of Ratnapura, located in the south of Sri Lanka, and to which it is known as the «City of Gems»; for the abundance of precious stones such as rubies, sapphires, topazes, amethysts and garnets that can be found in this place; where the current owner of it, a businessman who for his safety asked not to reveal his identity, would have bought the sapphire for an amount that he did not want to reveal, although he asserted that he paid a high price to acquire it.
Although his original idea was to display the sapphire so that all Sinhalese could admire the beautiful stone, he gave it up due to the risk of being stolen; but he is convinced that it will become an invaluable museum piece, and that due to its large size it will not be placed in any type of jewelry. So he has chosen to offer it to the main museums so that they can bid for it. Currently, he is working on a web portal through which the offers that he expects between 300 million dollars will be received; based on the fame that the stone has acquired and market estimates.
But the story of the world’s largest sapphire does not end with its sale, since with the proceeds, its owner aspires to do more for his country and especially for the poor; in addition to collaborating with the development of the industry in Sri Lanka.