An emerald rock large enough to require a forklift to move it has been discovered in a Brazilian mine—but the owner says he values his life more than the priceless find.
Experts value the jeweled boulder, which contains around 180,000 carats of emerald crystals, in the neighborhood of $303 million.
The giant stone, which is peppered with emeralds, is being hidden in a secure and secret location with the anonymous owner telling Cater News that he lives in fear of a kidnapping or armed robbery now that the news of the discovery has been made public.
The massive emerald, which weighs a whopping 794 pounds and stands around 4.3 feet high, was unearthed a month ago. It was discovered 650-feet inside the Carnaiba Mine, a gem-rich mineral exploration area in Bahia, north east Brazil.
“I can’t reveal anything about the whereabouts of the stone, how it’s being kept and how much I paid for it,” the owner told Cater News.
“All I can say is the stone is being moved frequently from secure location to secure location under armed guard. I cannot take any chances with my family’s lives by keeping the stone in one place where it could be found.”
The owner, a single father, said he’s mulling offers from buyers, but may consider donating it to a museum in Brazil.
“This is not the type of emerald used for making jewellery, it’s more a collector’s item which would look spectacular as an ornament in the foray of a wealthy home or make exceptional viewing in a museum,” Hatton Garden emerald expert Marcus McCallum said.
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