An Epic Emerald Fight

Weighing in at a staggering 840 pounds, the Brazilian Bahia Emerald is thought to be the biggest uncut emerald in the world. It’s being held in an evidence locker at an undisclosed sheriff’s department facility here in Los Angeles, and today the Brazilian government and an Idaho businessman are in court arguing over who owns the giant gem. Before the Bahia emerald ended up in LA, it went on a globe-trotting adventure that spanned eight years. We trace its journey and the big fight over it.