The Carolina Emperor: Record-Breaking Emerald Found on North Carolina Farm

Teresa Neumann : Aug 31, 2010
Staff - The Standard-Examiner

"I was saying a prayer, literally, just thanking Him. I held it up to the sun, and it was so dark you almost couldn't see any light through it."

REPORTER'S NOTE: Forgive me for stating the obvious, but since emeralds symbolize "the glories of God and His saints, flourishing, the essence of life, growth, new life, and increase and prosperity," I couldn't help but view this report in a divine light. Would that the discovery portend new life for our nation and churches in the months ahead! -Teresa Neumann, BCN.

(Charlotte, N.C.)—Terry Ledford, a gem miner from Alexander County is now said to have made history last August when he excavated what turned out to be a 64-carat emerald on a farm in Hiddenite, N.C. As reported in the Standard-Examiner, Ledford and his mining partner Renn Adams named the stone the Carolina Emperor. (Photo: Charlotte Observer)

"I was saying a prayer, literally, just thanking Him," Ledford said. "I held it up to the sun, and it was so dark you almost couldn't see any light through it."

Notes the report: "Most quality emeralds come from Colombia. But the rural crossroads of Hiddenite, about 45 miles northwest of Charlotte, has made its own name. The community is named for the rare, deep-green mineral a scientist working for Thomas Edison saw there in the late 1800s. Miner Jamie Hill found an emerald in 1998 that he cut into the 18.8-carat Carolina Queen and the 7.8-carat Carolina Prince, together worth about $1.5 million."

New York gemologist, C.R. "Cap" Beesley, reportedly called the Carolina Emperor "by far the largest gem ever recovered from North America and North Carolina."

Follow the link provided to read more about the Carolina Emperor and how Ledford discovered it.