An enormous emerald weighing more than 600 pounds and standing 4.3 feet tall was unearthed recently in Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia.
The specimen, which contains numerous emerald crystals embedded in host rock, was extracted from a depth of 656 feet at the Carnaiba mine. Credited with the amazing find are the miners of the Bahia Mineral Cooperative.
The specimen was pulled from Carnaiba about three weeks ago, and its May discovery worked out perfectly because emerald is the official birthstone for this month.
A local mine owner purchased the stone for an undisclosed sum, and said through his lawyer that he intends to present the giant emerald at national exhibitions. He also chose not to be identified due to security-related issues.
"Today, the owner of the stone is authorized to travel with it through all national [Brazilian] territory," said lawyer Marcio Jandir. "Obviously he wants to do some exhibitions with the stone, present it in museums and libraries, wherever he is able to present it."
Despite its immense proportions, the recently discovered emerald specimen is not the largest ever found in the region. In 2001, the 752-pound Bahia Emerald was also pulled from a local mine. Over the past 16 years, that stone has been the subject of international intrigue and numerous legal claims. It was once estimated to be worth $400 million, but its actual value remains a mystery. At one point in its murky history, it was listed on eBay for a "Buy It Now" price of $75 million.
Credits: Video screen captures via AOL.com.
