Weighing 836 pounds (about 380 kilograms), the world's largest emerald gemstone has opened the way back to his hometown of Brazil after 23 years of excavation.
According to the Washington Post (WP), Judge Reggie Walton of the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C., rejected claims by those who currently hold emeralds and accepted a request for confiscation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The consortium, which owns the emerald, asked for time to negotiate with the Brazilian government, but Judge Walton said it was "not enough an argument to prevent the return of the emerald.
The Bahia Emerald, excavated in Brazil in 2001, is a gemstone made up of nine individual crystals.
The WP estimated the value of the emerald at $1 billion (W1.4 trillion).
The Bahia Emerald' was smuggled to the United States as soon as it was excavated, and since then, various accidents and legal disputes have continued over ownership.
In the process, it was nicknamed 'Cursed Emerald'.
Now, ownership of the consortium of Idaho businessman Kit Morrison, who paid $1.3 million after a lawsuit, has been granted.
However, the Brazilian government demanded the return of the 'Bia Emerald' in 2015, saying it was a national treasure, and the Brazilian court also decided to confiscate it,
The US government also accepted the Brazilian government's request for judicial cooperation and executed confiscation, prompting a court battle with Morrison.
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