Feast your eyes on this beauty that miners in Myanmar have unearthed. They have recently dug up a huge jade stone weighing over 175 tonnes. It is estimated to worth an estimated US$170 million and is speculated to be one of the largest single piece of jade stone ever found.
According to the BBC, this dark green stone measures a mammoth 4.3 metres (14 feet) in height and 5.8 metres (19 feet) in length. It was discovered in a mine in the state of Kachin, located in the northern of part of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma).
Myanmar’s produce of jade stone is estimated to constitute around 70 percent of the world’s finest jade supply, and this trade alone makes up around half of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Although the common perception is that Jade is only one type of green gemstone; in reality, it refers to two similar, but structurally different types of metamorphic rock namely jadeite and nephrite.
As jadeite stone is more common in Myanmar, this giant of stone is probably of this composition, although confirmed lab reports are being awaited before declaring this. Jade in its uncut and unprocessed form looks like a pretty ordinary and dull rock, which has a slightly dark green tinge.
But as with most of the gemstones, after it is chiselled and polished, the stone looks shines out as a super glossy and green stone being able to catch anyone’s eye. Below is the statue from the Huntington Museum of Art in the US, which was made entirely out of chiselled jade.
Local politician U Soe Tint speculated that the piece of jade was as big as two small houses. He further said, “I assume that it is a present for the fate of our citizens, the government and our party as it was discovered in the time of our government. It’s a very good sign for us.”
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