This is a story on BBC News about a giant jade stone uncovered in Myanmar (Burma).
It was discovered near the border with China.
When you see the jade rough, it's amazing when you see the final product, polished and beautiful and green. Of course, it's impossible to know what's underneath: what is the color of the jadeite. If it's mostly imperial green, the stone is worth a fortune. It will be carved into mostly pendants, that will sell for high prices, perhaps some bangle bracelets. Most of it will stay in Asia because people outside China are used to paying low prices for color treated jade that's sold as "natural". If it's not good color, spotty, then it will probably get color treated by bleaching with acids, then adding polymer coloring and sold outside of Asia. When jade carvers purchase rough jadeite, it's called "gambling", because there's usually a small window cut in the rough, and the buyer looks at the color and "gambles" if it will be worth millions, or practically worthless.
It's quite a "surprise" that this discovery of the uncovered jade stone comes the same week that President Obama finally lifted the sanctions and embargo on jadeite and rubies from Burma.
Who wants to go with me to Burma to try to "gamble" on this huge jade stone!
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