7 of the Largest Gems Ever Found

They may not be suitable for wear around your neck, but the next seven gems wow us nevertheless because of their sheer sizes.

The Hand of Faith

 

We credit Kevin Hillier with finding this nugget of gold in Victoria, Australia. Going out in September 1980 with a metal detector, he found a gold nugget weighing in at 875 troy ounces just about 12 inches deep in the dirt. The item was snapped up by the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas and made Hillier an instant millionaire. Sure, other pieces of gold have been found that are larger. Yet none of them was unearthed because of a metal detector blip.

Pearl of Lao Tzu

 

In the past, this 14.1-pound pearl was also named the Pearl of Allah. It was brought out of the Palawan Sea by a Filipino diver who harvested a giant clam. The appraised value of this find has fluctuated between $35,000 and $93,000. While it is unclear exactly when this pearl made it to the surface, experts agree that it happened during or before the 1930s.

Gachala Emerald

 

Unearthed in 1967, the Gachala Emerald was mined in Colombia’s Vega de San Juan mine. The intensely green stone weights 858 carats and currently resides at the Smithsonian Institution. It is uncut.

Heart of Eternity Diamond

 

Weighing in at 27.64 carats, the Heart of Eternity was originally mined at the Premier Diamond Mine in South Africa. The blue diamond has an estimated worth of about $16 million. It features a classic heart cut.

Red Shield Diamond

 

Also known as the Moussaieff Red Diamond, this 5.11-carat fancy red diamond was mined in Brazil. It features a triangular brilliant cut. Mined in the 1990s, the stone initially weighed 13.9 carats before being cut.

American Golden Topaz

 

Showing off 172 facets, this 22,892.5-carat rock comes from Brazil. It is considered the largest cut yellow topaz currently known to exist. At this time, you can see this huge gemstone in D.C.’s National Museum of Natural History.

Cullinan Diamond

 

With a rough weight of 3,106.75 carats, the Cullinan has the distinction of being the biggest gem-quality diamond ever mined. It comes from South Africa’s Premier Mine. The discovery took place in early 1905. Nine separate gems were cut from this diamond – including the Star of Africa – all of which graced the heads of royalty. The estimated value of the discovery is approximately $2 billion. Amsterdam’s Asscher Brothers had the distinction of cutting the piece that had been presented to Great Britain’s King Edward VII.

If the dizzying values have inspired you to take on spelunking and metal detecting, you are not alone. Considering that the majority of these finds took place by chance, you may strike it rich on your next outing. We also thank EpicSwag for these amazing images!

At Peter Suchy Jewelers, we are always intrigued by gemstones of all sizes and we specialize in vintage and estate jewelry. Please stop by our showroom located at 1137 High Ridge Road in Stamford Connecticut.

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