Massive, 5,655-Carat 'Lion Emerald' Unearthed in Africa

By Brandon Specktor, Senior Writer | November 1, 2018 03:33pm ET

- click for image -

https://img.purch.com/h/1400/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzEwMi82MjMvb3JpZ2luYWwvbGlvbi1lbWVyYWxkLWltYWdlLmpwZw==

This 2.5 pound (1.1 kilogram) “lion emerald” is one of the single largest crystals ever unearthed in Africa’s Kagem mine — the most productive emerald mine in the world.
Credit: Gemfields

Miners in Zambia, in Africa, have discovered an emerald so large that the Queen of England herself would probably think, "That's a bit much."

The massive crystal is 5,655 carats and weighs about 2.5 pounds (1.1 kilograms) — about the mass of an adult human brain. The emerald will be auctioned off in Singapore later this month, according to a statement from Gemfields — the British mining company that owns 75 percent of the mine where the emerald was unearthed. (The Zambian government owns the remaining 25 percent.)

The emerald was discovered on Oct. 2 at Kagem, the world's largest emerald mine, in central Zambia. According to Gemfields, Kagem produces approximately 25 percent of the world's commercial emeralds.

The company has promised to divide 10 percent of the emerald's sale value between two local lion conservation groups — the Zambian Carnivore Programme and the Niassa Carnivore Project. For this reason, Gemfields has named the stone "

More:
https://www.livescience.com/63993-giant-lion-emerald-unearthed-zambia.html?utm_source=notification