A Brick of the Emerald City
February 22, 2010 12:48 PM   Subscribe

Today, Gemfields, operator of the Kagem mine in Zambia has announced the discovery of "Insofu". Coming in at 6225 carats, Insofu is one of the largest (currently uncut) emeralds ever discovered (behind the 7025 carat Colombian emerald Emilia, and the very poor quality 1182 lb. Madagascar emerald). Insofu means elephant in the language of the Bemba people who are indigenous to the area, and was named because of both its amazing size and in honor of the World Land Trust's "Wild Lands Elephant Corridor Project" in India which Gemfields participates in.

Currently it is difficult to asses how many stones and of what size Insofu may yield. The stone has a fine biotite shell, which produces a shiny surface. Too, it is of an unusually dark green color with a vivid hue produced by heavy concentrations of chromium (making it a very valuable emerald indeed). All of these make it difficult to asses the internal structure and quality of the gem.

While the article, and many other sources, reference a 86136-carat natural beryl crystal found in Carnaiba, Brazil in 1974, it is technically incorrect to compare it to the Insofu and the Colombian crystal. While beryl and emeralds are technically the same material, only stones with a deep green color and vivid hue are considered true emeralds. Beryl ranges in color from pale blue-green to nearly yellow (and sometimes red and pink), but these other color variations do not fetch the same value as the deep green emeralds. When heat treated, blue-green Beryl is usually sold under the gem name of Aquamarine.
posted by strixus (29 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Okay we need a Tech Guy, A spy girl, a honeytrap, a man inside, some muslce, a driver, and a charming cad, lets GO TEAM.
posted by The Whelk at 12:53 PM on February 22, 2010 [11 favorites]


I'll take Insofu for a ring and bracelet, Alex.
posted by Cranberry at 12:56 PM on February 22, 2010


Okay we need a Tech Guy, A spy girl, a honeytrap, a man inside, some muslce, a driver, and a charming cad, lets GO TEAM.

Don't forget an unemployed electrical engineer, a rebel group, a soundtrack by Bill Wyman, and Omar Sharif.
posted by chambers at 1:00 PM on February 22, 2010 [1 favorite]


Oh, for size comparison, the Golden Jubilee diamond, the largest faceted diamond in the world, is 545.67 carats, and was cut from a stone of 755.5 carats.
posted by strixus at 1:03 PM on February 22, 2010


Good pics here. (pdf)
posted by rocket88 at 1:11 PM on February 22, 2010


Aww, I was hoping it was shaped like an elephant. :(
posted by mccarty.tim at 1:12 PM on February 22, 2010


currently uncut

So a mohel walks in with a rock hammer and the emerald's wife says "Shouldn't this wait until he isn't hard?".
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 1:13 PM on February 22, 2010 [10 favorites]


Oh, come on, The Whelk. You know that Catwoman (the real one, not the Halle Berry one) could solo that job so easy.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:14 PM on February 22, 2010


How about we just leave it intact an marvel at its wonder rather than cutting it to peices. Nothing created by the hand of a man or woman could equal the natural beauty and uniqueness of this thing. This rock isn't some mid-western kid with dreams of fame, but overly endowed with prominent proboscis requesting the hand of a surgeon to enhance what fate laid below their eyes. This thing requires nothing more for us to appreciate its glory. Also carving this into a finished gem would create the necessary spell components for Dick Cheney to complete his phylactery and achieve lichdom. If the intrinsic beauty of creation can't sway you perhaps the prospect of Cheney-Lich will.
posted by humanfont at 1:18 PM on February 22, 2010 [10 favorites]


I hope the mining company gave the man that found it some extra gruel.
posted by Mayor Curley at 1:27 PM on February 22, 2010 [19 favorites]


Batman has to reluctantly employ Catwoman into stealing this emerald before it can be sold to a sinister business interest which is actually a front for ..oh lets say Dr. Freeze, however another, rival (possible) superhero team intervenes "I thought we where stealing it!" and while Catwoman plays them off each other Batman goes undercover to uncover their motives.

Wow, that was like 10 seconds.

Also, humanfont, Cheney IS a Litch. If he gets his undead paws on this he'd be a DemiLitch. Sooo much worse.
posted by The Whelk at 1:32 PM on February 22, 2010 [1 favorite]


Also this thing has "Buffy stand-alone episode that slowly turns into the season arc" McGuffin written all over it.

I think I watch too much TV.
posted by The Whelk at 1:34 PM on February 22, 2010


Simply incredible. Would say "Want," but it is too mighty to lust after.
posted by bearwife at 1:34 PM on February 22, 2010


While beryl and emeralds are technically the same material...

Rubies, sapphires, and the grit on sandpaper are all technically the same thing (aluminum oxide,) but some forms are much more likely to end up in a tiara.
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:41 PM on February 22, 2010


I'm the driver.

And in keeping with my ever shifting, difficult to catch persona, I'll probably use a character with a dry laconic wit and troubled past for this job.

I think I will also grow a pencil thin mustache and hold an unlit, unfiltered cigarette European style while staring at everyone else with narrowed mistrustful eyes.
posted by quin at 1:52 PM on February 22, 2010 [1 favorite]


I guess when you get to these kinds of sizes you can't judge the value based on any normal kind of market. I mean, how many people are out there trading emeralds in the thousands of carats? So I'd be interested to find out how much this nets its discoverers, compared to, say, its equivalent weight in 5ct emeralds.

Come to think of it, does anyone know how the value of a gem relates to its weight, for gems that are similar in all other qualities? Jewelers out there?
posted by lostburner at 1:54 PM on February 22, 2010


Nothing created by the hand of a man or woman could equal the natural beauty and uniqueness of this thing.

Just looks like a big ol' rock to me.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:56 PM on February 22, 2010 [1 favorite]


It needs a curse or something.
posted by jquinby at 2:00 PM on February 22, 2010 [3 favorites]


In drive-by fashion, let me just say it is major cognitive dissonance to think of any mining company as "doing good". Naming the rock they got via whatever decades of shady deals and mistreatment came before it after elephants isn't going to make me think this thing wasn't, ultimately, mined under terrible circumstances.
posted by jscott at 2:00 PM on February 22, 2010


and was named because of both its amazing size and in honor of the World Land Trust's "Wild Lands Elephant Corridor Project" in India which Gemfields participates in.

Okay, everyone who think the local labor working under hellish conditions to extract this thing has ever even heard of the "Wild Lands Elephant Corridor Project", raise your hands.

Anyone? Anyone?



Mayor CurleyI hope the mining company gave the man that found it some extra gruel.

No, no, you see... Look through this jeweler's loupe - See all those scales on the surface? Practically makes the thing worthless. We really shouldn't even pay you for wasting our time digging up such a low-quality rock off you, but we feel generous this week.
posted by pla at 2:13 PM on February 22, 2010


Batman? Catwoman?

That's Kryptonite if I've ever seen it.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:14 PM on February 22, 2010 [1 favorite]


I am ze zpy from ze unnamed but exotic country. We must prevent the Cheney-lich from getting ze stone. We must plan our caper most carefully. We must scale ropes.
posted by irisclara at 2:40 PM on February 22, 2010




That's Kryptonite if I've ever seen it.

Which is why you get Batman, sheesh.
posted by The Whelk at 3:32 PM on February 22, 2010 [3 favorites]


My first thought, upon seeing it, "Wow, that emerald is amazing!"

My second, "I hope the poor guy who found it didn't get attacked or killed for it."

It's like Metafilter is the Borg and I've already been assimilated.
posted by misha at 5:06 PM on February 22, 2010


Dang, well there goes my best idea for the name of my new-age martial art for people who don't get enough rest at night. :-/
posted by circular at 6:03 PM on February 22, 2010


Why do I have the feeling that Zambia isn't going to see 0.001% of whatever this thing is valued at?
posted by desjardins at 8:03 PM on February 22, 2010


Clearly, with it's color ad luster, this is the stone of the sacred AskMe, the Oracle, and we must guard it against interlopers (I got a spy, a driver ..I vote myself for charming cad, who wants to be the guy who gets shot early in?)
posted by The Whelk at 9:27 PM on February 22, 2010 [1 favorite]


Gemfields claims to be ethical & eco-conscious. I'm not sure how valid that is, but I've had a hard time finding criticism of their practices during a non-cursory search.

If anyone else can find evidence of abuse (land, people, whatever), I'd be interested in seeing that.

I also hope it doesn't get cut down. It's beautiful just the way it is.
posted by batmonkey at 2:19 AM on February 23, 2010


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