KS&L 407 A Lesson in Frequency Part 1 The Bahia Emerald by Tina Erwin

This is a multi-part series on the frequency of certain stones. Sometimes winning the worst lottery in the world would be to own an outwardly gorgeous jewel, before discovering that you don’t have the correct frequency to actually own that jewel.

       I love emeralds. I lived in Medellin, Colombia, one summer when I was in college, and I remember the thrill of shopping for emeralds on my extremely limited college student budget. However, in 1971 there will still bargains to be found. I learned all about the two most famous emerald mines, the Chivor and the Muzo. The stones that come from the depths of the earth in these mines are a vibrant blue/green, so beautiful, so alive that it feels like a privilege to own one. Each mine has its own color signature. The clearer the stone, the deeper the blue/green the more valuable the stone and the more pronounced the ‘personality’ of each piece. Emeralds are soft, (not unlike Tanzanite), so cutting and polishing them require great care, especially the extremely expensive large stones. The larger the stone, the more pronounced the ‘personality’ and the higher the frequency of the stone. It is the frequency of the stone that really tells the story. So let us talk for a moment about The Bahia Emerald.

       The behemoth that is the Bahia Emerald was found in Bahia, Brazil in 2001. Bahia, Brazil is a tiny village in the northeast corner of Brazil inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Almost all quality emeralds come from Colombia, but not this one. This one was found in Brazil. Let’s take a moment and look at the staggering statistics that describe this stone:

- 24/01/12 - The 400 Million Dollar Bahia Emerald – Premiers on 29th Jan on NGC Inspiration

v The stone and its granite matrix weigh in at 840 pounds.

v It has been valued at between $400-900,000,00 (yes that’s four -nine hundred million dollars.)

v The granite matrix of the stone contains the largest single emerald crystal ever found.

v The size is roughly 4’x4’x4’ making it the largest uncut emerald in the world.

v The estimated karat weight of the shards in the stone range from 180,000 to 1,900,000 karats!

v No one currently owns it despite numerous claims.

v It is presently housed in the Los Angeles County evidence locker, awaiting adjudication by a Los Angeles County Judge if that is even possible!

Stay tuned for Part 2: The ownership saga of the stone.