Sri Lanka holds the world record for the top three biggest Blue Sapphires; The Blue Giant of the Orient (486.5 carats), Logan Blue Sapphire (423 carats), and Blue Belle of Asia (400 carats) respectively. These gemstones are now owned by collectors and displayed in the National Museum of National History in Washington D.C.
Sri Lanka is renowned for its finest gems from very ancient times. The history of gems of Sri Lanka can be traced back some 3,000 years or so. The gems are the price possessions of royalty and the rich and the famous through the ages right up to this day. Sri Lankan gems have been pre-eminent internationally and the source books of history record this historical importance. Gems are deeply embedded in the traditional beliefs and the religious life of the majority of Sri Lankans. Priceless gems are among the treasures kept in the relic chambers of the great Buddhist Stupas in the island.