A 380kg emerald, estimated to be worth up to one billion dollars (around 5.8 billion Brazilian reais), has been the subject of many tales for years. This gem has endured a panther attack, survived the devastating floods of Hurricane Katrina, and is said to be cursed.
The Ownership Dispute
Yet, the enigma of who rightfully owns this emerald, a topic of much debate, may soon reach a conclusion after a recent federal court decision to repatriate the precious stone to Brazil.
Discovered in Brazil over two decades ago, the emerald’s ownership has been at the heart of an international legal battle for years, encompassing both civil disputes in California and criminal proceedings in Brazil. Multiple U.S.-based gem collectors also assert their claim to the emerald.
National Treasure or Smuggled Goods?
Brazilian officials maintain that the Esmeralda Bahia, as it is known, is a national treasure that was illegally smuggled from Brazil to the United States. This jewel, one of the largest emeralds ever found, has been in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department since 2015 amid ongoing legal proceedings.
On Thursday, Judge Reggie B. Walton of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a ruling for the stone’s return to Brazil.
“We are very pleased with the Federal Court’s decision, which paves the way for the Bahian emerald to be sent to its rightful home, Brazil,” said John Nadolenco, whose law firm represented Brazil in the case, in a federal statement. “We hope to see it displayed in a museum.”
According to Mayer Brown, Nadolenco’s law firm, the stone was unearthed from a Brazilian mine in 2001 and was unlawfully extracted before being smuggled into the United States in 2005.
It wasn’t until 2011 that Brazil’s Ministry of Justice learned of the gem’s theft and its whereabouts through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prompting a criminal investigation, as detailed in court documents.
The legal battles were just beginning. While the criminal case was ongoing in Brazil, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a restraining order in 2015 to secure the gem. By that time, the emerald had already made its way to California and was seized by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.
