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Famous Gems and Jewelry of Sri LankaThe Blue Belle of Asia SapphireFormerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka has earned itself the nickname as Ratnadeepa or 'the island of gems' and for very good reason. Various exotic colored gemstone jewelry pieces mounted with Sri Lankan jewels such as sapphire, ruby, garnet and alexandrite can be traced back from jewelry collections all over the world. Today, Sri Lanka is not only the steadiest producer of gem-quality sapphire, but also a source for around 75 of the estimated 130 different types of known gemstones, making it one of the most important geographical locations in the world when it comes to gems and jewelry. Sri Lanka has been one of the most important sources for gems and jewelry since times of antiquity. Sri Lanka has produced some of the world's most famous gemstones, many of which can be found displayed in priceless jewelry exhibitions all around the world. People from a diverse variety of backgrounds have written about the gems and jewelry of Sri Lanka for hundreds of years. Sri Lanka's rich jewelry history is believed to be over 3,000 years old, dating back to the approximate time of King Solomon's reign, which means that Sri Lanka is home to many of the world's oldest known gem mines. In fact, commercial sapphire mines were already established and in production by the time Marco Polo first arrived in Sri Lanka over 700 years ago, in 1292. For nearly 30 centuries, Sri Lanka's gems have been an important part of treasured jewelry collections. Indeed, Ceylon's gems have long been prized by the rich and the famous, including royalty and collectors from all parts of the globe. According to legend, King Solomon presented the Queen of Sheba with several pieces of jewelry mounted with gems from Sri Lanka, and biblical scriptures have mentioned gems being taken from Ceylon to King Solomon's court. In 1981, Charles, Prince of Wales gave a 12 carat Ceylon sapphire set in 18K white gold to Lady Diana, and years later, the same sapphire was given by Prince William to Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge. The royal stone was mined from Pelmadulla in the Ratnapura mining district of Sri Lanka. Ratnapura is located about 100km southeast of Colombo and is where most of Sri Lanka's sapphire is produced.  Gold Ring with Blue Sapphire
In Washington D.C.'s Smithsonian Institution, there are several famous sapphire jewelry pieces featuring Sri Lankan sapphires, including the Logan Sapphire Brooch, the Bismarck Sapphire Necklace, and the Hall Sapphire and Diamond Necklace. The Logan Sapphire Brooch contains a flawless 422.99 cushion-cut Ceylon sapphire believed to be the second largest blue sapphire in the world. The Ceylon sapphire was named after Mrs. John A. Logan who generously donated the brooch to the museum in 1960. The stunning sapphire exhibits a velvety and rich deep blue color and is surrounded by 20 brilliant, round-cut white diamonds. The Bismarck Sapphire Necklace features a remarkable 98.6 carat Ceylon sapphire set in platinum. It was designed by renowned jewelry designers, Cartier Inc. in 1935. The sapphire is known for its cornflower-blue color and is surrounded by white baguette diamonds and several smaller square-cut blue sapphires, also from Sri Lanka. The Hall Sapphire and Diamond Necklace is another timeless jewelry piece designed by Harry Winston. It features 36 matching cushion-cut Ceylon sapphires, totaling 195 carats. The rich blue sapphires are set in platinum and surrounded by 435 diamonds weighing almost 84 carats in total. Other famous gems from Sri Lanka include the Blue Giant of the Orient, which is the world's largest faceted blue sapphire; and the Blue Belle of Asia, a 392.53 carat top-grade sapphire that recently sold for over $17 million dollars, making it the most valuable sapphire, due to its price per carat of 44,063. The 'Star of India' which is actually a star sapphire from Sri Lanka, is a 563.35 carat, near-flawless cabochon-cut Ceylon sapphire. It exhibits an unusual double-sided asterism (the star effect) and is currently exhibited in New York's Museum of Natural History. The Star of India was originally acquired by George Kunz, the American mineralogist credited with popularizing the modern market for colored stones in America.
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Overall Rating -> 10 After working with and polishing low-grade, rough fire-agate, only to be disappointed, this shop was nirvana. The costs of some gems might seem high, but I have easily spent the same amount rough polishing lousy material only to get a few hints of fire. If you want Fire-agates, BUY the agates you want. These are excellent specimens and are worth considering. Posted By Jim in October, 2022 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 8 purchased birthstones to be mounted into stud earrings as a gift for a friend's gift Posted By MI photo in May, 2023 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 8 i was sad to not see more melee Posted By - Gemmy in September, 2022 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 i made an order in 2007 and was very pleased; it made into a lovely ring. i found a large citrine locally, and now needed some accent stones. Posted By Morgana zanos in March, 2023 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 8 I ordered peridots online and they were very close to the shade in the photo. They had a good polish and pretty good lapidation for a commercial cut. They had the correct critical angles for the ri of the material so that the stones had life in them. The down side was the lack of tracking and the length of time that it had taken to get them. Posted By Montecarloman83 in January, 2023 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 Excellent prices, excellent gemstones, easy to navigating, at the checkout, only a part of my cart was paid, then I get back to my chart, and the missing gemstones were there, so I pay it.At the end of the day, I did 2 consecutive purchases, paying 2 shippings. But even with that issue, I’m sure that worth it.Thanks! Posted By JPL in April, 2023 Source: Bizrate Related Articles Allure of Yellow Sapphire The Allure of Yellow Sapphire ... What is a Natural Sapphire? What is a Natural Sapphire? ... Most Valuable Sapphires Most Valuable Sapphires - A Once in a blue moon gemstone ... Sources for Sapphire Gems Sources for Fine Sapphire Gemstones ... Sapphire Prices Sapphire Prices: Prices for Buying Natural Sapphire Gemstones - GemSelect ... Mining Sapphire in Australia Mining Sapphire in Australia ... Padparadscha Sapphire Padparadscha Sapphire ... Biggest Star Sapphire? Biggest Star Sapphire - A star is born or a shady deal? ... Country of Origin Gemstone Origins: Country of Origin & Gemstone Value - GemSelect ... Kashmir Sapphire Kashmir Sapphires - The blue velvet princes of the Himalayas ... |
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