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Comment by brianbreslin | Hacker News Reader

How could any gem that size even low quality be worth "a couple hundred bucks"? Or rather, how can the range in value be so insanely large?

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I am not an expert, but I have bought a couple of small emeralds (in Bahia, Brazil) as a tourist. Part of the spiel that the seller had regarding why emeralds were special was that it is tricky to cut the gem without causing unwanted breaks. See https://naturalemerald.wordpress.com/2010/02/02/durability-i... for some info.

Also, like many other gems, the price of a gem varies wildly with its clarity, etc.

So the worst case scenario,I suppose, is that it could be that the stone is only worth its weight as rock dust. But generally I agree with you that it seems unlikely, and it's probably just hyperbole.

I seem to remember a passage in the Count of Monte Cristo where the Count has large emeralds turned into little boxes. I remember thinking at the time that it seemed extremely wasteful (and out of character for a guy who so shrewdly managed his affairs). Now it makes more sense.

That character was all about extravagance. He presents Danglars with not one but two letters of unlimited credit, then withdraws 5 million franks to pay for his immediate needs.

During import it was intentionally undervalued to avoid customs. This provided the journalistic license to provide the massive price discrepancy.

"On the packing slip he wrote “rocha: rochedo—rock” and listed the value at $100."

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