At 310 kilograms and 1,550,000 carats, the world’s largest natural corundum sapphire is expected to fetch quite a bundle. Now, the government of Sri Lanka is reportedly considering an offer of $100 million for the rare gem, according to IDEX Online. The bidder is an anonymous potential buyer from Dubai.
Lohan Ratwatte, Sri Lanka’s state minister of gem and jewelry, may wait for higher offers as “potential buyers in the United States and China have also expressed interest.” The sapphire may be worth as much as $200 million, although it has not been examined by international organizations yet.
According to IDEX Online, the Blue Belle of Asia – a 392.52-carat faceted, cushion shaped gem set in a necklace – still holds the record for the highest price ever paid for any sapphire at auction when it was sold for $17,295,796 at Christie’s Geneva in 2014. To date, the biggest single sapphire found is the Star of Adam – a 1,404-ct oval-shaped blue star sapphire found in Ratnapura in 2015 – the same city where the current sapphire biggie was found last year.
