Emerald block weighing nearly 300 kg discovered in Brazil

Miners have found a 1.3-meter-tall, 272-kilogram emerald in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia.

Miners at the Bahia Minerals Facility found the emerald earlier this month, said Paulo Santana, of Brazil's National Minerals Agency.

The jade was sold to a local mine owner. Mr. Santana declined to disclose the value of the jade.

Speaking to the AP by phone, Marcio Jandir, the buyer’s lawyer, said his client wants to display the jade in museums and libraries. Jandir did not reveal the buyer’s identity.

Photo of the 272 kg emerald block released by the Bahia Mineral Cooperative. Photo: AP.

Jandir said all paperwork related to the sale has been completed and the owner is allowed to take the jade around Brazil for exhibitions.

"This emerald is not suitable for jewelry but for collectors," Edilson Araujo, a jeweler, told Reuters.

Mr. Santana said it was the second largest emerald ever found in the area. The first weighed about 650 pounds and was valued at more than $300 million when it was discovered in 2001. It was illegally shipped to the United States, sparking a legal dispute between the two countries until it was decided to stay in the United States in 2015.

Rare emerald collection to be auctioned in New York The world's most expensive emeralds from Marcial de Gomar's collection will be auctioned in New York on April 25.

According to Zing