News
Local ‘mafia’ campaigning to derail sale of star sapphire cluster to prospective global buyers
Gem and Jewellery Authority Chairman says
By Suresh Perera
A local ‘mafia’ has unleashed an organized campaign of misinformation to thwart the sale of the star sapphire cluster unearthed at Pelmadulla near Ratnapura to prospective international buyers, a top industry official asserted.
“They are trying to deliberately devalue the precious gemstone in an attempt to discourage global bids so that they can make a kill after procuring it for a rock-bottom price”, says Tilak Weerasinghe, Chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Authority.
The rare gemstone weighing 510-kilograms or 2.5 million carats, described by the Authority as the “world’s biggest star sapphire cluster”, has been estimated to be worth US$ 100 million or possibly more. It surfaced from the backyard of a house when some workers were digging a well at Pelmadulla near Ratnapura known as the “city of gems”.
The negative publicity on the worth of the star sapphire cluster has emanated from the local ‘mafia’ keen to put prospective international buyers off track so that they can grab the rare find for a fraction of its worth, he said.
“Many international buyers have already shown a keen interest in procuring it”.
There are collectors who make fantastic offers to buy rare gemstones of this calibre, Weerasinghe pointed out. “I am confident we will be able to fetch a record price for it”.
He said the BBC report on unearthing a star sapphire cluster of this magnitude not found anywhere in the world so far triggered a frenzy with scores of prospective global collectors and buyers expressing interest in purchasing it.
Two persons described as “professionals in the lapidary field” dismissed speculation that the gemstone was not “worth millions of dollars”, as claimed.
Expressing their views on a television channel, one of them said the gemstone was basically a “museum piece” and estimated its worth to be around one million rupees.
The other person placed its value at around Rs. 400,000 and said he had more precious gems in his possession.
The fact that the star sapphire cluster was described as a “museum piece” itself shows that it’s priceless, Weerasinghe interjected. “We cannot fix prices to exhibits in a museum”.
This precious gemstone is a part of our national pride, he stressed. “It will be an honor to our country to bestow it to the world”.
Those who live like frogs in a well don’t understand that there’s a world beyond which appreciates and rewards what’s of worth and value, the Chairman noted. “People with their own agendas want to paint a different picture to achieve their own ends”.
Outlining that as a professional he has dealt with precious stones and also traveled to multiple world capitals on related work, Weerasinghe recalled the sale of a 25-kilo rare gemstone for millions of dollars at a London auction some time back.
Apart from precious gemstones, even the personal belongings of celebrities such as Michael Jackson have fetched millions of dollars at public auctions, he continued.
Asked whether the star sapphire cluster was unearthed at Pelmedulla about a year ago, he replied, “yes, only the owner of the property and I knew about it. We kept it under wraps until the pandemic situation both here and globally improved to make the announcement so that we could secure a good price for it”.
“Over the past year, it was cut and polished and a valuation done after it was analyzed and certified to be ready for the market”.
He said there will be a 25% tax component to the Sri Lankan government on the sale price of the gemstone.
State Minister of Gem and Jewelery Related Industries, Lohan Ratwatte, said that Sri Lanka is also looking at placing the precious gemstone for bidding at an auction in China in November this year.
During the cleaning process, a few stones that dislodged were found to be high quality star sapphires. They were pale blue in colour, officials said.
However, despite the euphoria about the prospect of the star sapphire raising millions of dollars, some experts have warned that though the specimen has a high carat value at 2.5 million, all the stones within the cluster may not be of high-quality.
“It remains to be seen how an international valuation will play out”.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
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