The Sacred Emerald BuddhaCarved in Thailand during the last decade from a huge 3,600 carat piece of
The Sacred Emerald BuddhaCarved in Thailand during the last decade from a huge 3,600 carat piece of rough emerald from Africa (most likely Zambia), the representation of Siddhartha Gautama is one of the largest carved gems in the world. He was depicted in a standard mudra (position) that is traditionally associated with an admonition to his family members (the sangha or priesthood) to stop quarrelling among themselves. Weighing in at 2,620 carats, it has a lovely bluish green hue (due to impurities of chromium and vanadium), to me the best colour for an emerald, and is relatively free of inclusions. It is very rare for such quality rough to have any other fate than being chopped up into faceted gems, so the decision the company took to carve it was a brave one. It was carved and polished by a master jade sculptor called Aung Nyein, originally from Burma but resident in Thailand. LozImage credit: Primagemhttp://www.gemsociety.org/article/sacred-emerald-buddha/http://www.gemselect.com/other-info/story-of-the-sacred-emerald-buddha.phphttp://www.internetstones.com/sacred-emerald-buddha-2620-carat-zambia-jeffery-bergman.html -- source link
#sculpture#emerald#mineral#buddha#geology#carving#chromium#vanadium