KAGEM, ZAMBIA — Gemfields, the world's largest producer of green stones, has discovered a giant, green emerald in Zambia.<br /><br />The emerald weighs more than 1.1 kilograms and was discovered in Kagem, the world's largest emerald mine located in Zambia.<br /><br />A statement released by Gemfields said that the emerald has "remarkable clarity and a perfectly balanced golden green hue."<br /><br />Emeralds in the Kagem mine were reportedly formed 450 million years ago due to a rare combination of in situ minerals and magma from the Earth's crust which then developed into emerald crystals.<br /><br />The gem is being called "Inkalamu" which means lion in the local Bemba language in Zambia.<br /><br />The uncut emerald was discovered in an open-pit mine on October 2 by a geologist and a veteran emerald miner.<br /><br />Several pieces are expected to be cut from the 5,655-carat emerald and will be auctioned in Singapore this month.<br /><br />Most of the emeralds in the world are mined from Zambia, Colombia and Brazil. As a result, emeralds are even more precious than diamonds due to their scarcity.
