Visitors are taking a shine to a $2 million emerald at the Watch and Jewellery Middle East Show, which began on Wednesday.
Dubbed the Prince of Kafubu and weighing 3.9kg, it is one of the biggest rough gem-quality emeralds in the world. It comes in at 19,000 carats.
The five-day showcase is littered with precious gemstones and metals. It gathers many of the region's master jewellers under one roof.
The main draw is the emerald, which was mined by Grizzly Mining in the Kafubu area (hence its name) of Zambia.
“This is really a one-of-a-kind gem-quality rock certified by Swiss jeweller Gubelin,” says Mahima Verma, co-founder and chief executive of World Academy of Design, which is displaying the rough emerald on behalf of the Zambian miner.
Gem quality, she explains, refers to a rock's "lustre, clarity and colour”, and its value usually depends on where it is mined from. Although emerald deposits are found across the globe, Zambia is the world's second-largest producer.
Zambian emeralds, experts say, often have a deeper, more saturated green hue compared to their Colombian counterparts. They also have great clarity, making them ideal rocks for mounting in jewellery.
The exhibition is part of the World Academy of Design's showcase of emerald-fitted jewellery pieces that are also displayed alongside the rough rock – from opulent wedding tiaras and flamboyant necklaces to dazzling rings and bracelets. The pieces, as well as the rough emerald, aren't for sale, but potential buyers can still express their interest.
Called the Jewel of Kings, the emerald isn't only associated with royalty, but also with rebirth and fertility, mainly owing to its verdant hue.
In India, an emerald ring worn on the little finger is said to attract prosperity.
It is the latest in a long line of similar exhibitions hosted in Dubai. Last year, a rare pink diamond and ruby worth an estimated $65 million were auctioned by Sotheby's Dubai. The year before that, Burj Alhamal, an 8,400-carat rough ruby weighing 2.8kg, made its public debut in the city.
Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show runs until Sunday. More information is available at mideastjewellery.com
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If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
More on Quran memorisation:
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