Guinness World Records (GWR) regularly keeps people updated about different amazing and extraordinary things. The latest inclusion in their list of things that may make your jaw drop in wonder is a piece of uncut emerald. The extraordinary 7,525 carats (or 1.505 kg) gem was unearthed in Zambia. GWR published a blog to share more about the wonderful discovery. They also shared a link of the blog on Facebook, and it prompted people to post various comments, with many saying how the gem looks like the fictional item kryptonite.
“Are you sure that's not Kryptonite?,” joked a Facebook user. “I’m worried this will be used against Superman,” shared another, referencing how this superhero gets vulnerable when exposed to kryptonite. “Superman just left the group,” posted a third. “OMG, Superman is in trouble, let's help him... I don't think he will ever travel to Zambia again…,” commented a fourth.
GWR, on their blog, shared that geologists Manas Banerjee and Richard Kapeta first discovered the emerald back in 2021 along with their team in a mine located in Copperbelt Province in Zambia. Soon after the discovery, it was named Chipembele. In the local dialect of the Bemba people of Zambia, the word means “rhino.”
The emerald mine is owned by Gemfields along with the Industrial Development Corporation of the country's government. Besides Chipembele, two other huge emeralds were previously found at the site. One of them is called Insofu or “elephant” which was discovered in 2010. The other one, discovered in 2018, is called Inkalamu or “lion.”
{{/usCountry}}The emerald mine is owned by Gemfields along with the Industrial Development Corporation of the country's government. Besides Chipembele, two other huge emeralds were previously found at the site. One of them is called Insofu or “elephant” which was discovered in 2010. The other one, discovered in 2018, is called Inkalamu or “lion.”
{{/usCountry}}Chipembele was eventually acquired by Eshed, an international supplier of natural diamonds and emeralds, towards the end of 2021. They applied to Guinness World Records suspecting that the gem could make a record and GWR finally recognised it as the “World’s largest uncut emerald” in April 2022.
"We wanted to do something really special to celebrate our relationship with Africa and African gemstones and there is nothing more suitable than breaking the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the largest uncut emerald. We are here to inspire people worldwide and introduce them to the exquisite beauty and rarity of natural gemstones – especially natural gemstones from Africa. We want to pass our knowledge and love for natural gemstones to future generations,” Avraham Eshed, President of Eshed, Gemstar, told GWR.
What are your thoughts on this amazing discovery? Did the pictures of the uncut emerald leave you stunned?