Mon 13 December 2021:
Sri Lankan authorities displayed what they claimed was the world’s largest natural corundum blue sapphire, weighing 310 kilograms and discovered in a gem pit three months ago.
Local gemologists who examined the sapphire said it was one of the world’s rarest gems, weighing more than 300 kilograms. The precious stone has yet to be certified by international organizations.
The sapphire was displayed in Horana, 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of Colombo, at the home of one of the gem pit owners. Before the gemstone was unveiled, a group of Buddhist monks chanted blessings for it.
The stone was discovered in the gem-rich Ratnapura area, where locals had previously discovered the world’s largest star sapphire cluster by accident in a backyard.
Ratnapura is known as the South Asian country’s gem capital, as it is a major exporter of sapphires and other precious gems.
According to the local gems and jewellery industry body, the country earned around $500 million last year from the export of gems, diamonds, and other jewelry.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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