A Purple Star Sapphire weighing 3,563 carats, which is claimed to be the world’s biggest of its kind, was unveiled in the Sri Lankan capital by the owners, who are ready to sell the precious stone which is estimated to be worth at least US$300mil (RM1.21bil).
The round-shaped gem named “Star of Pure Land” is the world’s largest documented natural purple star sapphire, said Ashan Amarasinghe, a consultant gemologist.
“This is the largest purple star sapphire of its kind,” he told the media on Saturday, adding that the gem “shows a well-defined asterism. It has a six-ray asterism. That’s something special.”
The gem, which has been polished, is owned by the Star of Pure Land Team, who want to remain anonymous.
One of the owners said the gem was found in a gem pit near the remote Sri Lankan town of Rathnapura, known as the “city of gems”, in 2023.
It was purchased together with other gems in 2023, and about two years later, the owners found that it was a special stone. They then got it certified by two laboratories.
Amarasinghe said the value of the stone has been estimated at US$300mil to US$400mil (RM1.21bil to RM1.62bil) by international valuers. Sri Lankan sapphires are renowned for their unique colour, clarity and shimmer. — AP
