January 18, Colombo (LNW): A rare purple star sapphire believed to be the largest ever recorded has been presented to the public in Colombo, with its owners indicating that the extraordinary gemstone is now being offered for sale at a price expected to run into hundreds of millions of dollars.
The polished, circular stone weighs an astonishing 3,563 carats and has been named Star of Pure Land. According to gem specialists, it stands as the biggest known natural purple star sapphire documented to date.
Consultant gemologist Ashan Amarasinghe described the stone as exceptional, highlighting its sharply defined six-rayed star pattern, a feature known as asterism that becomes visible under light and is highly prized among collectors.
“The clarity of the star effect sets this gem apart from others of its kind,” Amarasinghe told reporters, noting that such quality is rarely seen in stones of this size.
The sapphire is owned by a private group identifying itself as the Star of Pure Land Team, who have chosen to remain unnamed citing security concerns. One member of the group revealed that the stone was unearthed in 2023 from a gem pit close to Ratnapura, the southern town internationally recognised as Sri Lanka’s gem capital.
Initially acquired along with a batch of other stones, the sapphire’s true significance was only realised after detailed examination some time later. Subsequent testing and certification by two independent laboratories confirmed its rarity and scale.
International valuers have placed the gem’s estimated worth between 300 and 400 million US dollars, reflecting both its size and its distinctive colour. Sri Lanka has long been famed for producing sapphires of remarkable brilliance and hue, and this latest discovery is being hailed as one of the most remarkable finds in the country’s gem trading history.
