A GEM trader in Sri Lanka stumbled upon a star sapphire cluster, which the authorities said, is the world's largest precious stone found ever, media reports said.
The pale blue stone weighing 510 kilograms or 2.5 million carats was discovered when a workman was digging a well at the trader's home in Ratnapura, a region known for precious stones.
"The person who was digging the well alerted us about some rare stones. Later we stumbled upon this huge specimen," Gamage, the owner of the stone, told the BBC.
According to local experts, the stone is worth $100 million (£72m) in the international market, although independent international valuers are yet to authenticate and evaluate it.
The rock was discovered about eight months ago but the cleaning and the removal of mud and impurities took time before it was analysed and certified, Gamage, who did not give his full name because of security reasons, said.
Some stones fell out of the cluster during the cleaning process and they were found to be high-quality star sapphires, he said.
"The rock consists of gems that appear like a bunch of grapes... The gemstone is so large that it cannot be lifted by even 10 people", Sri Lanka's Gem and Jewellery Authority chairman Thilak Weerasinghe was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.
The size of the precious stone surprised even experts in Sri Lanka.
Noted gemmologist Gamini Zoysa said it is the largest such stone he has ever seen, and opined that it could have been formed some 400 million years ago.
As the gemstone, named the 'Serendipity Sapphire', was found in a private mine area belonging to Gamage, the third generation gem trader is its owner, Weerasinghe said.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)