Famous Jewelry Collections: THE BEADING GEM'S JOURNAL

Friday, January 27, 2012

THE BEADING GEM'S JOURNAL

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 04:00 AM PST

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.

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