683-Pound Gemstone May Be The Largest Natural Sapphire In The World — And It’s Heading To Auction

683-Pound Gemstone May Be The Largest Natural Sapphire In The World — And It’s Heading To Auction

Share to Linkedin A Sri Lankan gem company claims it has discovered the world's largest single natural blue sapphire, a 683-pound gemstone that it plans to auction after obtaining an official valuation. A 310 kilograms (683 pounds) heavy natural corundum blue sapphire is on display at a residence in ... [+] Horana, about 41 kilometers (25 miles) south of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021. A gem company in Sri Lanka has unveiled the massive gemstone that is certified as a rare and one of the biggest corundums found in the country and plans to offer it to museums and gem collectors. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) The stone, nicknamed the "Queen of Asia," will go up for auction in Dubai January 20, announced Thilak Weerasinghe, chair of Sri Lanka's National Gem and Jewelry Authority, La Prensa Latina reported. The gemstone was put on display at the home of a gem pit owner in the town of Horana on Sunday, where it was blessed by a group of Buddhist monks. The Gemological Institute of Ratnapura, which owns the gemstone, has already rejected an offer of over $1 million from a prospective buyer in the Middle East, EconomyNext reported. GIR President Chamila