No 49 Archives | Incolor Magazine

Remarkable Emerald Cluster Found at Kagem Mine in Zambia

InColor — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 20:26:27 +0000

Discovered in March 2020, in the Chama pit of the Kagem emerald mine, this ‘Kafubu Cluster’ weighs 37,555-grams (187,775 carats). The cluster reveals that it contains very little matrix or other minerals, meaning the piece is almost entirely made up of emeralds. Its large mass is filled with numerous individual and intertwined emerald crystals, displaying their perfect hexagonal structure. Its name honors the unique landscape in which it was formed. Kafubu was sold at a Gemfields auction in November 2022 for a record-breaking but undisclosed price.

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“Once-in-a-Lifetime Discovery” Reveals 1,300 Year-Old Necklace

InColor — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 20:18:00 +0000

Archaeologists in central England uncovered a trove of treasures at an excavation site dating back to the 7th century AD in Harpole, Northamptonshire. The most significant piece discovered was a necklace believed to be around 1,300 years old. Part of the “Harpole Treasure,” it features pendants and beads made of gold, colored gemstones, glass, and Roman coins, with a centerpiece of garnet and gold.

Other artifacts included a silver cross mounted on wood and adorned with depictions of human faces in silver with blue eyes, two decorated pots, and a shallow copper bowl.

The “Harpole Treasure” is thought to be one of the most significant and richest discoveries in the United Kingdom. Archaeologists believe the grave is of a female who was probably an early Christian leader.

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Historical Emerald Greatly Exceeds Expectations at Auction

InColor — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 20:12:00 +0000

Despite its estimated range of $50,000 to $70,000, a ring made from a 6.25-ct emerald found on the shipwreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, went far above, garnering $1.2 million from an anonymous buyer.

The Atocha was a Spanish treasure galleon that sank in a hurricane off the Florida Keys in 1622. Among her precious cargo was a trove of gold bars, silver coins, Venezuelan pearls, and Colombian emeralds.

When the shipwreck was discovered in 1985 by Mel Fisher, one of the expedition’s funders, Frank Purdue, received a cut of the Atocha’s treasures, valued at $1 billion. He donated most of his share to the Smithsonian and the Delaware Technical Community College but kept one emerald, which he had made into an engagement ring for his future wife, Mitzi.

In December 2022, Mitzi sold the ring through Sotheby’s to raise money for humanitarian aid in Ukraine. (Image: Sotheby’s)

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