Man that dug up an 800-pound emerald had to go underground out of fear for his life. Wealth usually comes to those who work for it. Still, most of us would rather not think about it that way. After all, it’s so much more satisfying to dream about stumbling upon a briefcase containing millions of dollars while poking around the alley next door. And, well, that remains a fantasy for most of us. For one Brazilian man, it wasn’t too far from reality.
The man had been working in a mineral-rich mine in Bahia, Brazil, when a few hundred feet underground he found something he didn’t expect: a treasure. But while the discovery had him jumping with glee, he soon realized that the troubling consequences that followed would be costly.
In the summer of 2017, a 50-year-old father of one, identified only by the initials FG, made a startling discovery. He’d been working in a Brazilian mine about 656 feet underground when he happened upon something that would change his life forever. This mine, to be more specific, was the Carnauba mine in Bahia, Brazil, and it was known for being particularly gem-rich.
FG, along with his employer, the Bahia Mineral Cooperative, had legal authority to mine in the region. For those reasons, it shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise when FG made his discovery. Tucked away in a wall of mica schist at the end of the mine’s intricate tunnel system was a gemstone laced with emerald beryls. The entirety of the gemstone weighed 794 pounds, as FG would later find out, and it stood just over four feet tall. “The thing was massive and impressive,” FG said. “Their quality is superb, and by far the best I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years.” In other words, this stone would make FG rich beyond his wildest dreams.
By Rabapost