Posted on 08/29/2010 5:15:17 AM PDT by JoeProBono
HIDDENITE, N.C., Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Experts said a 64-carat emerald discovered by a gem miner in North Carolina is the largest cut emerald ever found in the United States.
Terry Ledford, 53, who dug up the gem in August 2009 in Hiddenite, said the rock -- 310 carats uncut -- "looked like an empty 7 Up bottle" when he discovered it, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported Friday.
Ledford, who named the stone The Carolina Emperor, said he expects selling the emerald to be "completely life-changing."
C.R. "Cap" Beesley, a New York gemologist, said Ledford is likely correct, as the emerald is "by far the largest cut gem ever recovered from North America and North Carolina." He said an emerald of similar size sold for $1.6 million earlier this year.
Wow..... in addition to her other charms, she likes rocks too!!!
You’re too kind! I’ve always been interested in geology. I took only a couple of college courses, though. One of my friends was majoring in it, but the math requirements knocked her out in her junior year; she ended up with a degree in philosophy!
IIRC, that part of NC has igneous rocks, and also has uranium and thorium. Our state doesn’t have much coal, oil, or natural gas, but thorium could meet our energy needs for decades to come. Of course, the government won’t let anybody build any thorium reactors.
So where does Upsidasium come from?
It is his own property- here’s a link to the local paper:
http://media.iadsnetwork.com/contentitempdf/pdfs/176000/176911.pdf#Search=%22gem%22
http://news.discovery.com/earth/north-carolina-emerald.html
Nice rock!
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