Sri Lankan authorities showed a record-breaking sapphire

Sri Lanka showed what a huge sapphire "Queen of Asia" looks like. Local gemologists claim that this blue sapphire made of natural corundum, which weighs 310 kg, is the largest of its kind and one of the rarest precious stones in the world.

A huge sapphire with an estimated value of $ 100 million was found by workers while digging a well in a courtyard in the Ratnapura district. This area is known as the gemstone capital of Sri Lanka, which is a leading exporter of sapphires and other precious stones.

A huge cluster of star sapphires was found back in September, but it was presented to the public only recently, and before that it was blessed by Buddhist monks. 

The stone, which was named the "Queen of Asia", was put on display in the house of one of the owners of stone pits in Horana, 65 kilometers south of Colombo. 

According to local gemologists, this sapphire is one of the largest and rarest precious stones in the world. However, international organizations have not yet certified it.

Tilak Weerasinghe, chairman of the National Gem and Jewelry Authority, said more research should be done on the gemstone.

Gemstone expert Chamila Suranga said that the peculiarity of this gemstone is that the gemstone is composed of aluminum oxide, titanium, iron and nickel: 

Last year, Sri Lanka earned about half a billion dollars through the export of precious stones, diamonds and other jewelry, according to a local body engaged in the production of precious stones and jewelry.