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Lanka’s largest sapphire-family corundum kindles China, US interest
ECONOMYNEXT – The largest natural corundum ever recorded in Sri Lanka, which could also be the largest in the world, has attracted interest from potential buyers from China and the US, the 310 kilogram stone’s owner said.
Chamila Suranga, founder of the Gemmological Institute of Ratnapura, which owns the stone, said Chinese buyers have started to express interest after Chinas Xinhua news agency reported on it.
One of the inquiries came through a local gem exporter who had been dealing with China for over 30 years, he said.
“I understand that a Chinese museum is interested in this stone, which we have named the Queen of Asia,” Suranga said.
“We also got an inquiry from an American buyer who wanted to get it and gift it to a top US natural history museum.
Agents representing buyers from both countries had already visited to view the stone, he said.
Suranga said a Duba-based gem trading house had offered to conduct an international auction on a 60/40 split and had offered a base fee of one million dollars to bring it to Dubai.
Suranga said GIR was now pursuing the option and an auction is likely early in 2022.
The Chinese buyer had wanted to know what price was set on the stone.
“But what we said was that we wanted to auction it,” Suranga said. “Then it will be more exciting.”
Suranga is hoping that the geopolitical rivalry between China and the US will extend into gemmology.
A Sri Lankan official said the rarity of the stone would be a key factor in its value.
“This is the largest single corundum stone recorded in Sri Lanka,” Thilak Weerasinghe, Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Gem and Jewelry Authority said last week.
“This is not an aggregate. It is a single stone. As far as we know it could be the largest recorded corundum in the world.”
Sri Lanka had earlier found a star sapphire aggregate or cluster weighing around 500 kilograms.
He said the price fetched by the stone would come from its rarity.
The stone, which is opaque on the outside in parts, has clear blue patches inside.
Corundum is the family of gem made up of the mineral aluminum oxide, including geuda, blue and red sapphire.
Test conducted on samples obtained form the stone had confirmed that it had refractive index of 1.76 to 1.77, the same as sapphire and hardness of 9.0, Suranga said.
The official appointment letters for the members of the newly established “Cricket Transformation Committee” (CTC) were handed over on Monday (04) by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage.
The following members received their letters of appointment at the Ministry premises:
Sidath Wettimuny
Thushira Radella
Prakash Schaffter
Ms. Avanthi Colombage
The Ministry also noted that veteran cricketers Roshan Mahanama and Kumar Sangakkara, who are key members of the committee, are currently overseas. Their official appointments will be formalised immediately upon their arrival in Sri Lanka.
The Cricket Transformation Committee has been mandated to oversee the administration and drive structural reforms within Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in accordance with the powers vested in the Minister under the Sports Act No. 25 of 1973.
Three prison guards attached to the Welikada Prison have been arrested by Borella Police following the death of an inmate on Monday (04).
‘Bar Association must reveal its stand’
Civil society group ‘Free Lawyers’ has requested Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena to probe whether political pressure was brought on a Magistrate, or a High Court Judge, in respect of an ongoing high profile case.
Speaking to The Island on behalf of ‘Free Lawyers,’ Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said that they felt the urgent need to seek the CJ’s intervention, following the May Day declaration by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that the verdict of a case that was heard on 30 April would be given on 25 May. Tennakoon said that addressing the NPP’s main May Day rally at Maharagama, the President asked the people to be ready to celebrate that verdict. The President couldn’t have said so if he hadn’t been aware of the impending verdict, Tennakoon said, while emphasising the responsibility on the part of the Bar Association to state its position on the issue.
‘Free Lawyers’ recently captured pubic attention following its exposure of the theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury.
Responding to a query, Tennakoon said that on behalf of ‘Free Lawyers,’ Maithri Gunaratne, PC, on Monday, 4 April, wrote to both CJ Surasena and President of the Bar Association Rajeev Amarasuriya.
Alleging that President Dissanayake’s declaration caused immense harm to the independence of the judiciary and raised controversy over the judgement that would be given on 25 May, ‘Free Lawyers’ organisation also asked the CJ to inquire into whether the entire judicial process was under political pressure.
Tennakoon said that they expect the Bar Association to reveal its position on President Dissanayake’s statement. Tennakoon pointed out that during the May Day address, President Dissanayake made reference to 15 cases that were to be taken up during this month, whereas Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister, as well as Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake, mentioned nearly 10 names of politicians, both sitting and former lawmakers, to be summoned beginning, May.
Tennakoon said that the NPP appeared to have used May Day to counter growing accusations over the Colombo port container controversy, coal scam, Rs 13.2 bn NDB fraud and theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury and USD 625,000 from the Sri Lanka Postal Service.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
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