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Gems

This Is the World’s Largest Blue Sapphire

By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
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By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
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January 5, 2016, 11:14 AM ET
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SapphiresScience Photo Library Getty Images/Science Photo Libra

The world’s largest blue sapphire is been found in Sri Lanka — and it could be worth a whopping $100 million.

The gem, called The Star of Adam, weighs in at 1404.49 carats, according to the Telegraph, beating the previous record of 1,395 carats. The current owner told the BBC that he believes he could sell the gem at auction for at least $175 million.

https://twitter.com/BBCEarth/status/684373970007756801

This isn’t the only major precious gem found in recent months. In November of last year, a diamond weighing 1,111 carats was found in Botswana. That was the second largest diamond ever, only behind the one used to make the crown jewels of British royalty.

Sri Lanka’s gem mining industry, which is dominated by sapphires, is worth more than $100 million annually, according to the BBC.

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By Ben Geier
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