Sri Lanka’s City of Gems Ratnapura after few months after unwitting construction workers discovered the world’s largest star sapphire cluster in a backyard, a Sri Lankan gem company has shown off one of the biggest natural corundum’s ever found in the country.
The royally massive gemstone, dubbed the Queen of Asia, tips the scales at a staggering 683 pounds. It was discovered in a gem pit in the southern city of Ratnapura in September, but was unveiled by the owners last week.
Sri Lanka’s National Gem and Jewelry Authority carried out a series of gemological tests on five samples taken from the rock and has determined that it’s one of the rarest gems in the world.
Shanka Ruwanditha, a director of the Gemological Institute of Ratnapura, which currently owns the massive stone, told that the institute plans to enlist a gem valuer soon to determine the price of the rock.
A Gem Authority official said that the Queen of Asia could be worth more than $100 million. He also confirmed the institute is targeting potential buyers including museums and wealthy private collectors in the Middle East. (robbreport.com)
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