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Largest Emerald Sale

January 19, 2012 by · Comments Off on Largest Emerald Sale 

Largest Emerald Sale, A watermelon-sized emerald — the largest in the world — will go to the highest bidder this month, auctioneers in Canada say.

The 11.5-kilogram (25.35-pound) oval gemstone named “Teodora” or “God’s Gift,” figures out to 57,000 carats and was appraised Monday at $1.15 million, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported. It goes up for sale Jan. 28.

“It’s a very beautiful deep green. To me it’s just a thing of beauty,” Mike Odenbach, owner of Western Star Auctions in Kelowna, British Columbia, said. “It’s spectacular. It’s just nothing short of spectacular.”

Odenbach said he believes the emerald — which was mined in Brazil, cut in India and is owned by a gem dealer in Calgary, Alberta — could sell for much more than its appraised value.

“It’s not unusual for gemstones to sell a lot higher than their appraised value, just depending on who wants to possess the largest emerald in the world. Really the sky’s the limit,” he said.

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