Ammon News - A rare 'Purple Star Sapphire' weighing a whopping 3,563 carats has been discovered in Sri Lanka.

The stunning gem has been named the 'Star of Pure Land', and is believed to be the world's biggest natural star sapphire of its kind.

As the name suggests, star sapphires are known for their star–like qualities, called asterism.

This optical effect creates a shimmering star pattern on the stone's surface.

'This is the largest purple star sapphire of its kind,' consultant gemologist Ashan Amarasinghe said.

'[It] shows a well–defined asterism. It has six rays asterism. That's something special out of all the other stones.'

While the value of the stone remains unclear, Mr Amarasinghe believes it could be worth at least $300million (£223million).

Daily Mail