The Largest Blue Sapphire in the World
Blue sapphire is a rare, blue gemstone that includes all the shades in the range. Probably the most beloved of them is a bright deep blue, similar to the depths of the seas and oceans.
It has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, being surpassed only by the diamond, making it extraordinarily durable. The love for sapphire inspired many of the great jewelry makers of the world to create exquisite pieces using this very precious and rare gemstone.
There were several famous sapphire stones discovered during history, some of which ended up adorning magnificent jewelry items that eventually became world-renowned.
But, when it comes to size, the first place definitely goes to the blue sapphire discovered in the Ratnapura mines of Sri Lanka, a place known as the "City of Gems".
The Characteristics of the Largest Blue Sapphire
The oval-shaped precious stone was named "The Star of Adam", due to the fact that it has a six-pointed star-shaped reflection or distinctive mark in its center. Specialists explained that this phenomenon occurs because of the way light reflects from crystals trapped within the gem.
The Colombo Institute of Gemology has determined that this specific gemstone weighs an astonishing 1404.49 carats (280 grams). According to BBC, experts say they have never certified a sapphire stone bigger than this one, so this is currently the largest "star sapphire" in the world.
Armil Samoon, a leading jewelry dealer, confirmed to BBC that it was indeed the largest blue star sapphire in the world.
The blue sapphires estimated value is 100 - 300 million dollars.
"The moment I saw it, I decided to buy it. When the stone was brought to me, I suspected it was the largest starry blue sapphire in the world. So I took a risk and took it," said the owner, who wished to remain anonymous and refused to say how much he paid for the stone.
