Sapphires have a long history of being in demand in cultures all over the world — and one of the most high-profile examples of this type of gemstone is about to hit the market for a potentially unprecedented sum. As Bonhams global director of jewelery Jean Ghika told Galerie in 2024, some of that has to do with scarcity, with a trio of mines having produced some of the most prominent examples.
“Stones from these origins tend to smash world records because the mines they come from are either exhausted or have a finite number of years to run,” Ghika said.
Those mines are located in Kashmir, Myanmar and Sri Lanka — and a purple star sapphire originating in the last of these may be the largest example of its kind ever recorded. Writing at the Associated Press, Bharatha Mallawarachi chronicled the announcement of the gemstone, known as the Star of Pure Land. The sapphire has 3,563 carats, and its owners are seeking to sell it for a sum in the neighborhood of $300 million.
Gemologist Ashan Amarasinghe explained why this particular stone is so significant, telling the Associated Press that it is “the largest purple star sapphire of its kind.” The presence of a six-ray asterism in the stone is also one of the factors contributing to its rarity.
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Everything from affordable quartz field watches to high-end mechanical GMTsThe sapphire’s website has more information — including comparisons to some other high-profile sapphires — and is the place where interested collectors can make inquiries. The last 12 months have been something of a banner time for notable sapphires: last year, a pair of record-setting sapphires received a showcase of their own in the United Arab Emirates.
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