Story Time: The weekly weird
Miners find gigantic lump of jade worth £140 million
Miners felt like they had ‘won the lottery’ when they unearthed this magnificent piece of jade.
Weighing an incredible 175 tonnes, the massive rock, found in Burma, is the world’s most valuable piece of raw jade. Experts estimate it is worth £140 million — and the price per kg could be 20 times higher once it has been polished, giving it a potential price tag in the billions.
If you’re wondering why the rock isn’t a shade of deep green, fear not — its distinctive colour will come out when it is cleaned.
It’s a massive find for Burma, the world’s largest producer of Jadeit (mineral), with the industry representing half of the country’s GDP. Burma is likely to sell the rock to China, where it will be made into jewellery and sculptures.