Emerald crystals can grow very large. Learn about some of the world’s largest emeralds, whether rough, faceted, or carved.
3 Minute Read
The Emerald Unguentarium, a 2,860-ct (20.18 oz) emerald vase carved in 1641, is on display in the Imperial Treasury, Vienna, Austria.
Formerly known as "1492," the Catalina Emerald sculpture consists of a 1,550-ct carved emerald held by a bronze statue of an indigenous woman, wearing a 18k yellow gold crown with over 27 carats of diamonds and standing on an intarsia base made from lapis lazuli, malachite, gold-veined quartz, and sugilite.
The Guinness Emerald Crystal, a 1,759-ct (12.4 oz) uncut emerald from the Cosquez mines in Colombia, resides in the collection of the Bank of the Republic of Colombia.
A 1,383.93-ct (9.76 oz) uncut emerald from Muzo, Colombia, the Duke of Devonshire now resides in "The Vault" at the Natural History Museum, London, UK.
The Isabella Emerald, a 964-ct (6.80 oz) cut emerald, is owned by Archeological Discovery Ventures, LLC. You can learn more about the history behind this shipwrecked emerald in our article on famous emeralds.
The Gachalá Emerald is an 858-ct (6.05 oz) uncut emerald from Colombia. It now resides in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
The Empress Caroline, an 858-ct (6.05 oz) uncut emerald from Hiddenite, NC, is privately owned.
The Patricia Emerald, discovered in Colombia in 1920 and named after the mine owner's daughter, is a 632-ct (4.46 oz) uncut emerald. It resides in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
The Mogul Mughal Emerald, a 217.80-ct (1.54 oz) carved emerald, sold at Christie's for $2.2 million in 2001. It now resides in the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar.
Carved from a 3,600-ct (25.4 oz) African emerald in 2006, the Sacred Emerald Buddha statue weighs 2,620-ct (18.48 oz).
The Bahia Emerald, an 840 lb. stone discovered in Bahia, Brazil in 2001, reportedly contains over 180,000 cts of emeralds, approximately 79.38 lb. That includes the largest single shard of emerald ever found, described as "the size of a man's thigh." The events and personalities involved with this gemstone since its discovery have inspired much speculation, and its ownership is currently in dispute.
When the LKA Emerald was unearthed in 1984 in the Hiddenite area of North Carolina, it was considered the largest intact emerald found in North America. At 1,686.3 cts, it currently ranks as the 2nd largest. The name "LKA" comes from the company that owned the mine at the time. The Stephenson Emerald, found in the same region in 1969, weighs 1,438 cts. This stone was named after John A. D. Stephenson, a 19th century researcher of Hiddenite-area gems. In the 1990s, the American Museum of Natural History displayed both these gems.
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The Emerald Unguentarium, a 2,860-ct (20.18 oz) emerald vase carved in 1641, is on display in the , Vienna, Austria.
Formerly known as "1492," the Catalina Emerald sculpture consists of a 1,550-ct carved emerald held by a bronze statue of an indigenous woman, wearing a 18k yellow gold crown with over 27 carats of diamonds and standing on an intarsia base made from lapis lazuli, malachite, gold-veined quartz, and sugilite.
The Guinness Emerald Crystal, a 1,759-ct (12.4 oz) uncut emerald from the Cosquez mines in Colombia, resides in the collection of the Bank of the Republic of Colombia.
A 1,383.93-ct (9.76 oz) uncut emerald from Muzo, Colombia, the Duke of Devonshire now resides in "The Vault" at the Natural History Museum, London, UK.
The Isabella Emerald, a 964-ct (6.80 oz) cut emerald, is owned by Archeological Discovery Ventures, LLC. You can learn more about the history behind this shipwrecked emerald in our article on famous emeralds.
The Gachalá Emerald is an 858-ct (6.05 oz) uncut emerald from Colombia. It now resides in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
The Empress Caroline, an 858-ct (6.05 oz) uncut emerald from Hiddenite, NC, is privately owned.
The Patricia Emerald, discovered in Colombia in 1920 and named after the mine owner's daughter, is a 632-ct (4.46 oz) uncut emerald. It resides in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
The Mogul Mughal Emerald, a 217.80-ct (1.54 oz) carved emerald, sold at Christie's for $2.2 million in 2001. It now resides in the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar.
Carved from a 3,600-ct (25.4 oz) African emerald in 2006, the Sacred Emerald Buddha statue weighs 2,620-ct (18.48 oz).
The Bahia Emerald, an 840 lb. stone discovered in Bahia, Brazil in 2001, reportedly contains over 180,000 cts of emeralds, approximately 79.38 lb. That includes the largest single shard of emerald ever found, described as "the size of a man's thigh." The events and personalities involved with this gemstone since its discovery have inspired much speculation, and its ownership is currently in dispute.
When the LKA Emerald was unearthed in 1984 in the Hiddenite area of North Carolina, it was considered the largest intact emerald found in North America. At 1,686.3 cts, it currently ranks as the 2nd largest. The name "LKA" comes from the company that owned the mine at the time. The Stephenson Emerald, found in the same region in 1969, weighs 1,438 cts. This stone was named after John A. D. Stephenson, a 19th century researcher of Hiddenite-area gems. In the 1990s, the American Museum of Natural History displayed both these gems.
