180,000 carat emerald…wait. What??
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says it is holding an emerald estimated to be worth as much as $370 million while the stone’s owner is determined.
A department spokesman said the 850-pound gem will be in safekeeping until a federal judge determines who rightfully owns it.
The “Bahia Emerald” was reported stolen in September from a secured vault in South El Monte, Calif.
CNN reported the emerald has been at the center of a dispute between a California man who claimed ownership, a company with which he contracted to sell it and a potential buyer.
via UPI.com.