Culture

World’s biggest rough ruby from Tanzania, ‘Burj Alhamal’ in exhibition in Dubai

Published

2 years ago

April 18, 2022

The world’s biggest rough ruby which weighs 2.8 kilograms was presented to the public for the first time Friday in Dubaï.

The magnificent gemstone, named “Burj Alhamal” is from Tanzania.

The Managing Director of the company exhibiting the record-breaking ruby, Patrick Bellati, said “this is a rough Ruby from Tanzania. It’s 8,400 carats, it’s not heated, what I mean by not being heated is not being treated. So it’s natural and that’s why it’s precious.”

Bellati also revealed that plans are to auction the beautiful piece as well as take it across Dubai for explorers and lovers of nature to behold and explore.

“We’re going to auction it, but before the auction for the next 30 days, we’ll be actually traveling to Dubai in different locations where everybody can see it. Because it’s important to show that it really exists. You can Google these images, but you’re not sure whether they are real or not.” Bellati concludes.

The oldest ruby deposits in Africa are found in Tanzania. The first rubies were discovered at Mount Longido on the Kenyan border at the beginning of the 20th century. In Kenya and Tanzania, most deposits are unfortunately exhausted. It has been extracted until the 80s Rubies are fairly large and quite exceptional.

According to minerals experts, the greenish and purplish stone could be auctioned for 120 million dollars.

Related Topics:Burj Alhamal Featured ruby

Click to comment

Culture

Egypt reclaims 3,400-year-old stolen statue of King Ramses II

Published

6 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Egypt has received a 3,400-year-old statue depicting the head of King Ramses II that was stolen and smuggled out of the country more than three millennia a ago, the country’s Antiquities Ministry said in a statement.

According to the Ministry, the statue was stolen from the Ramses II temple in the ancient city of Abydos in Southern Egypt more than three decades ago.

Head of Egypt’s Antiquities Repatriation Department, Shaaban Abdel Gawad, who received the artefact said though the exact date the artefact was stolen is not known, the piece is estimated to have been stolen in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

“The statue is now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo but not on display. The artefact will be restored,” he said.

He stated that Egyptian authorities spotted the artefact when it was offered for sale in an exhibition in London in 2013 before it was moved to several other countries before reaching Switzerland.

“This head is part of a group of statues depicting King Ramses II seated alongside a number of Egyptian deities,” Abdel Gawad said.

King Ramses II is one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful Pharaohs. Also known as Ramses the Great, he was the third pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty of Egypt and ruled from 1279 to 1213 BC.

“Egypt collaborated with Swiss authorities to establish its rightful ownership and Switzerland handed over the statue to the Egyptian embassy in Bern last year, but it was only recently that Egypt brought the artefact home, he added.

Culture

Ghana mourns as top gospel music icon Koda passes away

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

The Ghanaian entertainment industry has, once again, been thrown into mourning following the death of renowned gospel musician, Kofi Owusu Dua Anto, known professionally as Koda, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 46.

According to reports, the gospel music icon and producer died from a kidney-related condition he had been suffering from for sometime.

Koda, renowned for hit songs like “Hossana”, “Nkwaa Abodo”, “Nsem Pii” and “Adooso”, was also a producer of repute who gained fame for his inspiring compositions and his captivating, soul-stirring vocals that struck a chord with audiences nationwide.

A local media reports that he worked with a lot of Gospel musicians in Ghana and Nigeria including popular Nigerian gospel singer, Nathaniel Bassey.