$100M gem of a find

A massive sapphire cluster worth as much as $100 million has been unearthed by workers digging a well in the backyard of a Sri Lankan home, authorities said.

The 2.5-million-carat sapphire (above), believed to be the world’s largest such cluster, was discovered behind the home of a third-generation gem trader in Ratnapura, the BBC reported.

“The person who was digging the well alerted us about some rare stones. Later, we stumbled upon this huge specimen,” said the owner, identified only as Gamage.

Gamage, who gets to keep the find, notified authorities about the discovery, but it took more than a year to clean the stone before they could certify it.

Experts said the stone, which has been dubbed “Serendipity Sapphire,” is worth up to $100 million.

“It is a special star sapphire specimen, probably the biggest in the world,” said Thilak Weerasinghe, chairman of the National Gem and Jewelry Authority.