# Why is this giant emerald worth so much if the stones are not gemstone quality?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-giant-emerald-worth-so-much-if-the-stones-are-not-gemstone-quality/578169>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 13, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-giant-emerald-worth-so-much-if-the-stones-are-not-gemstone-quality/578169 "2011-04-13T00:47:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-giant-emerald-worth-so-much-if-the-stones-are-not-gemstone-quality/578169/1 "2011-04-13T00:47:16Z")

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Re the [Bahia Emerald](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahia_Emerald).

[Pic one](http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/6/e2/a75/6e2a7540-a8c8-11df-8772-00127992bc8b-revisions/4c687e38007cb.image.jpg)

[Pic two](http://www.nationaljeweler.com/nj/colored-stones/color-market-reports/article_detail?id=20179)

Why are the contending parties saying it’s worth 'hundreds of millions of dollars" if the stones are not gem quality. If that’s the case it seems it would be just more of a mineralogical curiosity.

> [@](#):
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> The Bahia Emerald is one of the largest emeralds (or rather, emerald crystals embedded in host rock) and contains the largest single shard ever found. The 180,000 carats (36 kg) Brazilian stone narrowly escaped flooding during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 during a period of storage in a warehouse in New Orleans.[1] It was subsequently reported stolen in September 2008 from a secured vault in South El Monte in Los Angeles County, California.[2] Whilst the stone has been valued at some $400 million, the true value is unclear

[Bahia Emerald legal battle tears 2 friends apart](http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-11-29/news/24950465_1_bahia-emerald-legal-battle-friends)

> [@](#):
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> “It was not of high-grade quality so it couldn’t be cut into smaller stones for jewelry,” he said. “It was a big ol’ mother, though.”
> 
> Conetto said he invited his onetime friend and business associate, Anthony Thomas, to Brazil to view the stone and help find a buyer. Conetto figured a museum or private collector might covet it as a novelty

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-giant-emerald-worth-so-much-if-the-stones-are-not-gemstone-quality/578169/2 "2011-04-13T01:27:13Z")

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It may not be gem quality, but 36 kg is friggin’ huge. Sometimes size really _does_ matter.