Sri Lanka, known for its rich gemstone deposits, has once again unveiled an astonishing discovery—a rare purple star sapphire weighing 3,563 carats was officially revealed on the 21st. Named the “Star of Pure Land,” this gigantic gem is believed to be the world’s largest known natural purple star sapphire. Experts estimate its value at 300 to 400 million US dollars (1.167 to 1.556 billion ringgit), surpassing the worth of many legendary diamonds.
The most striking feature of this gemstone is its unique asterism effect. Gemstone consultant Amarasinghe pointed out that the “Star of Pure Land” possesses exceptionally clear and perfect six-rayed star patterns, an extreme rarity among similar gemstones.
Perfect Six-Rayed Star Never Seen Before
The so-called asterism is caused by tiny needle-like rutile inclusions within the gem, creating star-like flashes of light when illuminated.
Amarasinghe emphasized that, given such a large size, for the star pattern to still be so bright, sharp, and perfectly centered makes this gem stand out among all known stones.
The “Star of Pure Land” was unearthed in 2023 from a mine in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka’s famed gemstone region.
Owner Discovered Its Value Two Years After Purchase
The mysterious group owning this gemstone revealed that it was initially acquired along with a batch of rough stones. It was only two years later that the owner realized the extraordinary nature of this piece. After certification by two professional laboratories, its astonishing identity was uncovered. For safety reasons, the owner’s identity remains highly confidential.
If appraised at 400 million US dollars, this gem would become one of the most expensive gemstones in history. For comparison, the 14.62-carat “Oppenheimer Blue” diamond fetched about 57.5 million US dollars (223 million ringgit) at auction in 2016; the 11.15-carat “Williamson Pink Star” went for about 57.7 million US dollars (224 million ringgit) in 2022.