USs Largest Emerald found in West VA?

[cocallag]

US's Largest Emerald found in West VA?

Howdy All,

A couple of weeks ago I was watching a West VA gold panning show on TV and in the pan they found what they said was the nation's largest emerald. Does anyone know about this? True or not? I've searched for an article to no avail.

Thank you,
Clarice

 

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[New Orleans Relic]

Is that the show where they are holding this brown ugly large pebble, and said rough rubys look like a cows tongue? If so the show ended, them wondering. Curious myself.

 

[cocallag]

Yep, the emerald was brown but peeks of green. Didn't show rubys. Hope someone knows the answer.

Thks,
Clarice

 

[cocallag]

Maybe yes on rubys. I was focused on the big emerald.

 

[gunsil]

I don't know about the WV emerald, but the largest GEM quality emerald was found in North Carolina. If you google E F Watermelon you can see photos of it. E F Watermelon is a jewelry and mineral store in Lyme, CT and they handled the sale of the unbelievable emerald last year. I think it went for over a cool million. When you see it you will realize instantly that you are seeing a true wonder of the mineral world. On their website there is a section on the mine in NC, click on it and you'll see the real McCoy!!

 

[cocallag]

I don't know about the WV emerald, but the largest GEM quality emerald was found in North Carolina. If you google E F Watermelon you can see photos of it. E F Watermelon is a jewelry and mineral store in Lyme, CT and they handled the sale of the unbelievable emerald last year. I think it went for over a cool million. When you see it you will realize instantly that you are seeing a true wonder of the mineral world. On their website there is a section on the mine in NC, click on it and you'll see the real McCoy!!

I don't know about the WV emerald, but the largest GEM quality emerald was found in North Carolina. If you google E F Watermelon you can see photos of it. E F Watermelon is a jewelry and mineral store in Lyme, CT and they handled the sale of the unbelievable emerald last year. I think it went for over a cool million. When you see it you will realize instantly that you are seeing a true wonder of the mineral world. On their website there is a section on the mine in NC, click on it and you'll see the real McCoy!!

Jamie Hill, known as Alexander County's "emerald man," pulled another big gem out of the Hiddenite bedrock in August 2006.

The 10-inch, 591-carat emerald made eyes pop when Hill showed it off to friends and reporters. It's shaped like two long green-glass cigars fused together on one end and dotted with yellow flecks.

Because of its unusual length and twin formation, Hill called it a museum-quality piece instead of one that would be cut for jewels.

This month, he said gem experts have proclaimed it the world's longest natural emerald crystal. A Connecticut jewelry gallery, E.F. Watermelon, was marketing the emerald to potential buyers.

Hill's mine also produced sizeable emeralds in 1998 and 2003.

All the news

 

[Eric Wilson]

If it's emerald's you seek Nc is the place. Emerald Hollow mine in hidden ire is open to public. Open every day but Christmas. They salt the creeks and flume buckets but you can stake and maintain a claim and dig for the real all native stones too. Usually found in pockets. Now is time to go b4 it's hot. You wait till summer and it'll kil you.

 

[Eric Wilson]

Damn this machine it keeps correcting my spelling when I'm not paying attention. Emerald Hollow is in Hiddenite, NC.

 

[mical66]

we stopped at one of those roadside places in NC near Cherokee a couple times since we pass that way going to Atlanta , my son found 2 rubies according to the shop keeper , to me they look like 2 rough round brown rocks, but he swore by the texture he knew what they were and each was worth 500-700 cut..so my son offers to sell them to him but he turned him down , said it would cost that much to have them cut,,,lol
so makes me wonder ,, do i have 2 rubies or just 2 brown rocks....

 

[Eric Wilson]

Rubies in the rough don't look so impressive- most sapphires less so. So very well could be rubies. However native Nc rubies often have to be cabbed rather than faceted as they lack the clarity. 500-700 sounds like a ridiculously high valuation as you discerned. I have about 30 gallons of concentrates from Franklin sitting in buckets outside- if average stones were worth half that I'd be rich. A better estimate is probably less than 50.00 for the pair- maybe less in the rough. If they were cabbed and turned out to be asteriated they could have a value in the hundreds each- but that is unlikely. If they are facetable and produce a high quality stone in the carat range then 800-1000 dollars is possible. Again however that is very doubtful and in no way would I pay the money quoted to cut them. Your son caught the blowhard with his foot in his mouth and he was just trying to escape. Next time a rock and gem show comes your way, take them by and see if someone can give you a fair and accurate evaluation and if you wish, a fair price for cabbing or faceting- whichever would be appropriate for those stones.

 

[Number9]

I really like them ruby and sapphire! That's where my nickname comes from... "Number9".

Corundum is the mineral name for ruby and sapphire and corundum is #9 on the Moh's Scale Of Mineral Hardness.
Ruby and sapphire are gem names... ruby is red and sapphire all other colors from clear to black... other than color, they are the same.

NC ruby(30-40 cts) found on Chunky Gal Mountain several years ago. Was given to a good friend in CT...



Here's a sapphire that was said not to exist in the U.S.A.,
but I found it anyway...

Trapiche Sapphire - NC 1996

 

[awisewon]

Here is a decent stone new to this but did do a bit of research the stone appears to have 2 an 3 phase inclusions its for sure not man made or glass we been told by rookies its a Aquamarine but a buddy and I neither of us being experts are looking more that the fact this is likely a Columbian Emerald because of its color and the inclusions just wondering if anyone can give us more insight and the stone cuts glass so its real hard.

 

[Spectre]

I can't see that being aquamarine. Aqua is much more glass like up to a 'cool' blueish hue.

For the emerald buffs out there, I recently saw the largest cut emerald in the world, online......and, no exadgeration, it is the size of a watermelon. Crazy.

Here you go:

 

[awisewon]

That is a impressive stone, we are still trying to figure out just what the Stone is I posted it was a door stop for years around here we thought it was a colored rock lol. But a buddy saw it and ask did I realize what I had there and it got us both digging into it. Gems are totally new to me other than owning a few rings in the past and a few tiger's eye belt buckles lol. I have Ordered a Chelsea Filter which should give me a better Idea. we know it really can be only one of 3 stones which is all good for us Emerald of course being the best. We have contacted a few people in hopes of a sale once we can find out just what it is. then I am guessing the next step will be a trip to NY to get it certified by the lab up then to the selling it phase.

 

[awisewon]

The one we posted my buddy and I are leaning more towards Emerald not Aqua either not blue enough, our other buddy thinks it is Aqua. Being the rookies that we are at this its been a educational past few months and sure had us Gem Hunting which I have made a few real small other finds an still looking for more of course. Just posted the pic to get ideas on what others think it is who are far more the experts than my buddy an I.

 

[New Orleans Relic]

I understand Aqua can be heated to bring out the more sought after blue tone.
Ray

 

[awisewon]

That is what I have heard to both Aqua and emerald can be heat threated to enhance color. The stone I posted is all natural if its ever been heated its by mother nature. It appears a greenish- yellow when viewed by the Chelsea filter. cuts Glass pretty easy which we figured out this past weekend after purchasing a Chelsea Filter and decided to give it a shot at cutting glass given glass is a 6.5-7 on the Mohs so we now know its harder than glass we also have a blue sapphire that appears even harder and cut the glass deeper so for sure more real expert testing is needed.