Among all the sapphire origins, Sri Lanka is the most surprisingly famous for mining the largest sapphires known to man. Nicknamed the "Gem Island," besides the extraordinary The Star of Adam, there are three other sapphires from Sri Lanka. They are the 466-carat Blue Giant of the Orient, the 423-carat Logan Sapphire, and the 400-carat Blue Belle of Asia.
1. The Blue Giant of the Orient
Let’s begin at the weightiest sapphire of these three— the Blue Giant of the Orient. It weighed approximately 600 carats in naturally uncut and unpolished status when mined from the Kalu Ganga in Sri Lanka. So, to remain in maximum gem weight and accentuate its magnificent brilliance, the cautious craftsman decided to cut it meticulously in a cushion shape to fit its raw gem shape.
Soon later, on August 23rd, 1907, the “Morning Leader” newspaper of Sri Lanka announced that an anonymous American collector had bought this extraordinary sapphire. Since then, this largest gem has been out of the public eye until it appeared in Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction catalog in 2004. However, it remained vanished after the auction until now.
2. The Logan Sapphire
The gorgeous Logan sapphire is the second-largest faceted gem-quality blue sapphire in the world. Named after socialite Mrs. John Logan, this beautiful gemstone is one of the most precious gifts to delight the ladies. Similarly, it was also from Sri Lanka. But it was a little lighter than The Blue Giant of the Orien, weighing 423 carats. The stunning Logan sapphire necklace is internally flawless and brilliantly radiant. It was cut into a perfect cushion shape and set in a brooch surrounded by 20 round-cut diamonds, about the size of an egg. In 1960, Mrs. Polly Logan donated this beautiful blue sapphire gemstone to the Smithsonian Institution for everyone to appreciate its beauty.
3. The Blue Belle of Asia
The third largest blue sapphire from Sri Lanka sold for $17.3 million, breaking a 2014 auction record at Christie’s in Geneva. This legendary sapphire has a long and mysterious past. Date back to 1926 it appeared in 1926 at Pelmadula, Ratnapura in Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka). According to Christie’s, the Blue Belle of Asia was cut and polished to a fantastic radiant shape between 1926 and 1928. After the cautious treatment, it was first purchased by Lord Nuffield but then vanished for years until it showed up at Christie’s auction.
The beauty of the Blue Belle of Asia is in its unique design. As a magnificent necklace, it features a sparkling sapphire in the center. And various tassels of brilliant diamonds compose the chain and maximize the overall brilliance. This masterpiece of sapphire jewelry reflects the most stunning beauty of gemstone jewelry.
