The “Sri Lanka” or “Ceylon” sapphire comes from what is probably the oldest known locality for the blue corundum type. It is said that the legendary “Queen of Sheba” already mined in these mines. The stones usually have few inclusions and have always been excellent for jewellery because of their purity. Besides the “classic” blue sapphire, there are two other specialities found in Sri Lanka: Star sapphire and Padparadscha. The star sapphire shows so-called “asterism”: A suitable cabochon cut brings to light a waving star on the outside of the mostly opaque or translucent stone. Padparadscha is a corundum variety in the colour orange-pink.