The World's Largest Emerald: Sort of

Reports surfaced yesterday that the “World’s Largest Emerald” may actually not, be the world’s largest emerald. Wait, so you’re telling me that it was all a lie?! Well, yes and no, and we’re not all that sure. It appears that in his quest for putting his shop on the map, owner Regan Reaney may have glossed over a few details. 

Photo: Western Star Auctions

And by a few details we’re talking details that amount to saying that the moon is made of cheese. In an interview, Jeff Nechka, the gemologist who appraised the stone was quoted as saying, “I’m positive that it contains emerald but I’m not sure how much of it is emerald. It has been dyed to some extend but it’s impossible to tell the intensity of the stone prior”. He even goes further to add that he can’t confirm whether or not the stone actually is, “The World’s Largest Emerald”. 

Shane McClure, director of GIA’s West Coast Identification Service, offers some possible explanations. He asks that we take his speculations with a grain of salt as he has not personally examined the stone, but feels that if there is white beryl mixed in with emerald and that if GIA graded the stone it would most likely be graded as “beryl with zones of emerald”. He goes on to further state that the GIA would “probably not call it emerald no matter what”. Claiming that “they seem to think there is indication of natural green coloration but we wouldn’t call it emerald in any case”. 

So to sum up so far, this ‘wonder of nature’ is looking more and more like Frankenemerald. Who knows what this thing is actually made of.  However Nechka valiantly tries to defend the beleaguered stone, claiming that it is still worthy of the 1.15 million dollar price-tag. “If it was solid, untreated emerald, you would be looking at 10 or 20 times the value for sure. Well, um, duh. But just like with anything in this world, proving that something similar is worth a ton of money doesn’t make your item worth tons of money by association. If that were true I have a huge clump of carbon that I’d love to sell. It’s the exact same chemical composition as diamond, so that makes it worth millions right? I could facet it, and dye it silver if that would help. Well according to Reaney, that’s exactly how it works.

“This is 100 percent what we say it is. We know there is emerald throughout it, we don’t know how much. We know it’s not a total white beryl, but it has some white beryl in it. It’s not gem quality, and we know it’s commercial grade. But the size of it is what makes is special.” Let’s all pause for a moment and let that sink in. First he’s claiming that the “World’s Largest Emerald” is emerald, maybe, we’re not sure. He’s also claiming that it’s not gem quality, which means that it is essentially the type of stone usually used for decorative bookends and doorstops that you buy at places like Wal-Mart and Barnes and Noble. 

All I can say after learning all of this is that I am SO excited to watch the auction tomorrow. Will it sell, and if so for how much? But don’t worry if it doesn’t sell. If no buyer is found for Teodora, Reaney claims that he will send it to the GIA lab for evaluation. 

*Watch this space for updates after Saturday’s Auction!