Rakwana Blue Sapphires
The town of Rakwana, in southern Sri Lanka, has been known for decades as a premier source of royal blue sapphires. Often, a simple mention that a gemstone is from Rakwana will immediately explain the price and quality. In August 2019 a small pocket yielding numerous large sapphire crystals was discovered in the nearby Sinharaja Forest area of the Ratnapura District, Sabaragamuwa Province. What was unique about this find was the quality and size of the lustrous crystals. The 49.99 ct rough crystal in the figure above, measuring 5.8 cm in length and 1.6 cm at its widest point, was one of about 60 found in August 2019. It was also the largest complete crystal found. The beautiful 33.16 ct gem beside it was cut from a 207 ct piece of rough, the end of a large portion of a crystal. This crystal and cut gem rival the famous ones from Kataragama found four years ago.
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