Bahia, Brazil (NBC News) – A giant emerald measuring nearly four feet high and weighing a whopping 794 pounds was discovered in April in Brazil’s Carnaiba mining region.
Sure, it may not look like much now, but this precious stone is valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.
It was found 656 feet below the surface of the mine.
The emerald was sold to an individual who refused to give an interview for security purposes, and he did not reveal how much he had paid.
The owner’s lawyer said the owner was authorized to travel with the stone throughout Brazil as he intended to present it at museums and libraries.
The emerald is the second of its kind found in the region, following another discovered in 2001 which weighed 44 pounds and was valued at 310 million dollars.
That emerald was transported to the United States illegally and became the subject of a legal dispute between Brazil and the United States until it was decided in 2015 it would remain in the United States.
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