Do you get the National Geographic Channel on tv? You might want to catch their special this Sunday at 8 pm EST about the Bahia Emerald. Its story is a tale full of greed, strange mysteries and disputed ownership.
This incredible 840 lb boulder containing huge cylinders of raw emerald crystals was discovered in a beryl mine in Bahia, Brazil back in 2001. One piece is as thick as a man's thigh. It was sold by a gem trader but after that, it's not clear who owns it.
The stone somehow made its way to the US. At one point, it was even submerged in a flooded New Orleans vault after Hurricane Katrina.
There are now at least 8 claimants for the unusual and rare emerald specimen. One man said he bought it in Brazil for $60,000K but his proof of purchase apparently disappeared in a house fire. Another claimed he lost it in a diamond deal because he was abducted by Brazilian mafia! The courts are still figuring out who the true owner is.
The estimated appraised value is a cool $400 million. That's an enormous sum of money for emeralds that aren't even gemstone grade. This is surely a case of "emerald fever" on the brain!
You can watch the NGC's preview here.
Before You Go:
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips
This incredible 840 lb boulder containing huge cylinders of raw emerald crystals was discovered in a beryl mine in Bahia, Brazil back in 2001. One piece is as thick as a man's thigh. It was sold by a gem trader but after that, it's not clear who owns it.
The stone somehow made its way to the US. At one point, it was even submerged in a flooded New Orleans vault after Hurricane Katrina.
There are now at least 8 claimants for the unusual and rare emerald specimen. One man said he bought it in Brazil for $60,000K but his proof of purchase apparently disappeared in a house fire. Another claimed he lost it in a diamond deal because he was abducted by Brazilian mafia! The courts are still figuring out who the true owner is.
The estimated appraised value is a cool $400 million. That's an enormous sum of money for emeralds that aren't even gemstone grade. This is surely a case of "emerald fever" on the brain!
You can watch the NGC's preview here.
Before You Go:
- Mexico's Deadly Giant Crystal Cave
- Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
- Diamond is NOT the Hardest Substance Anymore
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips
Oh, I'm so glad they found my emerald. I lost last summer when we were on vacation.
ReplyDeleteBev
Wow! cool.
ReplyDeleteVery nice Pearl! Actually I was thinking about going to a wide white blog myself, but I want to change the name,url, everything. I think I need to let the lady who actually writes about beads have the name. You did a great job with the changes you've made.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bette Jo for the comments - it's really hard to know when one has been working on a new design for months!
ReplyDeleteHave fun with the blog makeover although it is a lot of work and not to be done too often!